Unlovable Schemer
by Solitaire and Xpyne
Summary: An affair with Kaiba Seto is dangerous. Yugi & Yami could hurt their new wife Anzu, themselves, & their own complex rel'ship. But the most dangerous aspect could be that in love, as all other contests, Kaiba won’t accept anything less than a full victor
1. The SevenYear Itch

Title: Unlovable Schemer  
Author: Solitaire (of Solitaire and Xpyne)  
Rating: R for "adult situations," but will be NC-17 later  
Archive: Anywhere, I don't care, as long as you keep my name attached. It'd be nice if you let me know, though.  
Disclaimer: Don't own. Don't sue. I think it's pretty obvious I'm not making any money off of this.

Summary: An affair with Kaiba Seto is dangerous. Yugi and his yami could end up hurting their new wife Anzu, themselves, and their own complicated relationship. But the most dangerous aspect could be that in love, as in all other contests, Kaiba won't accept anything less than a full victory. (yaoi, takes place five years after Battle City)

A/N Solitaire: First off, let me start by mentioning that Xpyne had no part in this story, save for constructive criticism towards the beginning and the summary. So this is the very first story that's mine all mine. ::smiles nervously:: Let's just hope it doesn't suck. I've been working on this since January of 04, got stuck at the lemon, totally lost interest in the face of some really good Remus Lupin/Sirius Black fanfic, and have recently been coerced into making an attempt to finish it. I wasn't intending on posting at all until this was done, but I've noticed that interest in Yugioh has been waning (::cough::mine especially::cough::), and figured I wanted to have something to offer before someone stole my idea. Erm...I hope you enjoy.

mou hitori no boku -- the other me

K -- an aggravated noise, sort of a shortened form of 'kuso,' which means 'damn'

hai -- yeah, yes, okay

nanimono -- never mind

aa -- not just 'yes,' but usually something like 'yes it is' or 'yes I am' or 'yes, you're right'

jii-chan -- grandfather

Yes, Kaiba does have a Blue Eyes fighter jet, but for the sake of my sanity, let's all please use the visual of it as a normal fighter jet with an angry, jaggedy-toothed face painted on the nose like it was shown in the manga, and not the jet as portrayed in the anime, which looked like an _actual dragon_.

I haven't even finished watching the Doom arc, so I'm making up what Yami does and doesn't remember as I go along. For the purposes of my story right now, I'm going to say he's gotten a lot of his memories back, but most of them are out of context, meaning he'll remember moments or events, but not their significance or maybe what lead up to them or what happened after. And some memories he still refuses to try to recall.

To tell someone in Japanese that they're 'unforgivable' is, like, the ultimate expression of disgust. If someone tells you that you or something you did is unforgivable, you know they're majorly pissed and you effed up bad.

And yes, I did steal my title from a doujinshi I saw on ebay. The front cover had Kaiba looking so disconsolate, and I thought that was a little harsh, lol. And for the love of god, people, when you see a word you don't know the meaning of, look it up! At least a third of the totally awesome words I know, I first stumbled across in fanfics.

* * *

**Unlovable Schemer  
**Chapter One - The Seven-Year Itch

I don't know why you bother  
Nothing's ever good enough for you  
I was there  
And it wasn't like that  
You came here just to start a fight  
- Radiohead, "A Punchup at a Wedding"

"...Why didn't you _say_ anything?! How was I supposed to know? Seven _years_ we've known each other, and never once did you say anything. Not once!"

The brunet remained silent, his face the familiar stoic mask he slipped on whenever forced into a conversation he did not want to be having.

"And s-so you tell me this **now**, when it's--" His breath hitched, and he glared furiously at the older boy through the veil of tears he refused to let fall. "--when it's too late?"

Kaiba stared at him steadily for a long moment, as if mustering the motivation to speak after what happened the last time he opened his mouth. "If you want to know the truth, I wasn't going to say anything at all."

Yugi laughed weakly and wiped at his eyes with the back of his hand, sniffing. "What made you change your mind, Kaiba-kun? Couldn't stand to see me happy? Or maybe you thought this was your last chance to get it off your chest, since you wouldn't ever see me again?"

"If I'd wanted to 'get it off my chest,' I could have told you years ago."

"Then why didn't you??"

"...It wouldn't have changed anything."

"How can you say that?" the multi-color haired youth demanded angrily, telling himself for the hundredth time in the last five minutes that he would not break down in public. "It would have changed a lot! I certainly wouldn't have--" He inhaled shakily, reminding himself to lower his voice. "I wouldn't have married Anzu, for one thing." Yugi fisted his hands in his hair and clenched his eyes shut tightly. "You didn't come to the wedding...I thought it was just because you don't like being around so many people, I know you don't like social gatherings..."

"How could I have come?" Kaiba hissed fiercely, the cool façade slipping just a bit. "I never much cared for her other than the fact that she was _your_ friend, and then you went and **married** the--" He stopped short of the insult, uncertain how much Yugi would let him get away with; the last thing he wanted right now was to hear Yugi defend _her_. "You married her. Even I know I had no right to get in the way of your life. It's not like I had a better offer; everyone knows how little money means to you," he spat snidely.

Yugi opened his eyes and released his hair. "That's right, I don't care about money. I'd rather be out on the streets with someone I love than sitting in some high rise office with only my money to keep me company." It seemed Kaiba couldn't decide whether to flinch at the barb or sneer at the maudlin sentiment but quickly recovered, his face smoothing out, even while his eyes still blazed with fury. "But you can't make my choices for me."

"I wasn't even sure of my feelings for you, then--" Kaiba began defensively.

"You had seven years to decide!" Yugi reminded him, and immediately clammed up when he saw the attention he was attracting. He laughed, but it sounded closer to a sob. "You should have come to the bachelor party, Kaiba-kun. I had really hoped you would. I--" He laughed again, without any humor, and wiped at his eyes with the back of a hand. "I was planning on getting you drunk. I thought maybe if you'd, you know, loosen up, I could get you to be receptive to..." he trailed off embarrassedly, and a look of pain passed over his face, then was quickly gone. "Doesn't matter. You didn't come, and I married Anzu." He lowered his head to stare angrily at his feet. "Even though I knew she really loved mou hitori no boku, not me," he added bitterly in a whisper.

Kaiba didn't have to say it, but Yugi could hear it hanging in the air between them, despite the noise and commotion of the airport terminal: Then why the hell did you marry her?

"Anzu was always a wonderful friend. She was pretty and kind, and being with her...it gave me a feeling of normality, I guess, after everything I'd been through as a kid." He wasn't sure whether he was trying to convince Kaiba or himself at this point. "I could count on her always being there for me. And I couldn't really fault her for loving the other me more than she loved me, I mean, he's always been more...**everything** than me."

"Don't say that," Kaiba snapped tersely. "You know that's a lie."

"It's _not_ a lie!" Yugi shouted, not caring anymore if he made a scene.

"And who told you _that_? Was it her? Look at me, Yugi!" The brunet reached out and grabbed his chin, forcing his head up.

"No. She didn't have to. I can see it in the eyes of anyone who knows about mou hitori no boku." Yugi tried to wrench himself from Kaiba's grasp, but he wouldn't allow it.

"Do you see that in my eyes, Yugi? Look at me, goddamnit."

"No..." Yugi tried to pull away, he wouldn't look into Kaiba's eyes, he _couldn't_. He couldn't look into Kaiba's eyes, blue just like Anzu's, but such a different, darker, deeper shade. The billionaire tightened his grip on Yugi's chin enough to bruise, and he winced at the pain. "Kai--"

Kaiba crushed his mouth to Yugi's, his eyes wide, as he silently willed the smaller boy to see what was right in front of him. Yugi pulled away, crying a little, and squeezed his eyes shut. "Please don't do this to me..."

"If you're going to try and invent all these inadequacies you never had by deferring to that--_pharaoh_, answer me this: Does _he_ love Anzu?" Kaiba demanded. "Or did he just go along with it because it was what you wanted?"

"Stop it, please... I-I have a flight to catch. Anzu's waiting for us in New York."

"I love you, damn it, doesn't that count for something?!"

Yugi choked back a sob and shook his head. "Not anymore. It's too late, Kaiba-kun."

"Don't do this to me, Yugi," he growled, grabbing his shoulders and shaking him. "Don't do this to yourself!" He kissed the other boy again, open-mouthed, hard, fisting a hand in that lush hair and holding his mouth in place as he savaged it with his own. After several moments of struggling, the smaller male finally went limp in his arms before gripping the lapels of Kaiba's trench tightly and surging against him, returning the kiss as if he would die. The force and intensity of it startled the brunet, and when he pulled away to gasp for breath, his eyes were wild. "Yugi?"

The boy shook his head in the negative, even as his arms wrapped around the taller youth's neck desperately. "Kaiba, don't let him do this, don't let him throw away his last chance at happiness!" he whispered fiercely.

"Ah-Other Yugi??" he asked uncertainly, unable even to get sufficient leverage to pull back enough to be sure.

"If you let him get on that plane, I'll never forgive you, Kaiba," he threatened him. "I know he loves you, but he's only doing what he thinks is right, and he'll make himself miserable in the process, I know it!"

"Yami no Yugi..."

Final boarding call for flight 287, Domino to Honolulu International Airport. Will Mutou Yugi please report to gate 24A, paging Mutou Yugi to gate 24A.

The spirit tightened his arms around Kaiba's neck and buried his face against his chest. "Don't let them take us..."

The billionaire was taken aback by the uncharacteristic pleading note to the pharaoh's voice and for a moment simply stared down helplessly at the boy in his arms. Regaining his composure momentarily, Kaiba pressed a hand to the small of Yugi's back, the other coming up to comb through the messy tri-colored hair and push it gently from his face. "No one's going to try to force you onto that plane," he promised, kissing away his tears. The spirit of the puzzle took a deep, shuddering breath of relief, his eyes still closed, and nodded.

Kaiba released him and bent to pick up his carry-on. "Let's get out of here."

The dark Yugi wiped at his eyes and squared his shoulders, the unheard of vulnerability sliding off him like so much water. He glanced sharply to Kaiba and the brunet found himself wondering if he hadn't just imagined the last two minutes. The spirit fidgeted anxiously, his gaze darting to the terminal as if he expected officials come looking for him any second.

Kaiba seemed to remember himself and nodded toward the stairs. He almost placed his hand on Yugi's back to guide him, but let it drop. "This way."

* * *

Kaiba looked on impatiently as mou hitori no Yugi continued to devour his plate of fruit, packing in strawberries and mango with equal relish. A waiter came by to refill the brunet's mug of coffee, then was gone as quickly as he'd come. Kaiba took a sip of the scalding liquid and leaned forward to rest his elbows on the table. "Well?" he asked.

"Well, what?" Deep violet eyes peered up at him as the slighter of the two shoved another piece of cantaloupe into his mouth with his fingers.

Kaiba shifted as his slacks tightened. "I really wish you'd use your fork," he groaned, nudging the utensil towards him. The spirit suddenly sat up straighter.

"I'm sorry; I'm embarrassing you." The multi-color haired boy demurely wiped his hands on the cloth napkin in his lap and picked up the fork. It was obviously awkward for him to maneuver, but somehow he managed it with as much grace as most of his actions entailed.

"What I meant was: Well, what's going on? Last I heard, you were leaving for New York to join _her_." Kaiba still couldn't bring himself to say her name without the jealousy and disgust welling up inside of him. His eyes were drawn to the gold band around Yugi's finger against his will. "Why did Yugi call?"

"...He didn't. I did."

The billionaire's gaze snapped up to meet the former sovereign's, and he raised an eyebrow as if to say "Oh?"

Yami no Yugi set his fork aside and folded his hands in his lap. "Aibou's friends threw a 'going away' party for him last night. Jounouchi-kun tried calling your office, and then your house to invite you, but he couldn't get past your secretary or your 'people' at the mansion." He narrowed his eyes accusingly. "Mokuba made his excuses for you, of course, but Yugi assumed, as we all did, that you simply couldn't be bothered for something as insignificant as his last night in Domino."

"I would have come, if I'd known."

"_Would_ you have?"

"Of course I would have!" Kaiba snapped. "I'm here now, aren't I?" He glared at the boy across the table and pushed his plate of eggs away, having suddenly lost all appetite. The puzzle spirit's lips pressed into a thin line.

"You said yourself at the air-port that you had no intention of revealing your true feelings for Aibou."

"Well, I'll let you in on a little secret, _pharaoh_--things don't always happen how we intend."

The dark Yugi's eyes fell to the ring on his own finger, then quickly returned to the plate in front of him. "I called because I'd wanted aibou to be able to see you one last time before we left, so he could say goodbye."

Kaiba leaned over the table and grabbed his wrist, forcing the smaller male to look at him, and studied his face carefully. "What about you?" he asked, searching Yugi's eyes, but it wasn't Yugi on the inside looking out. "Did _you_ care whether or not you ever saw me again?"

The other Yugi's eyebrows jumped towards his hairline. "Of course I wished to see you again. Aibou and I hadn't seen you since Mai and Jounouchi-kun's engagement dinner over two months ago. Aibou had hoped you would attend his bachelor party--"

"I know," interrupted the blue-eyed boy, releasing Yugi's wrist to slouch back in his chair. "But I was more than a little busy with work. And the last thing I'd wanted was to have the impending 'joyous union' shoved in my face," he added bitterly. The spirit regarded him solemnly.

"Yes, I was hoping to see you again," he finally admitted, almost shyly, "but I don't see how my desires should have any import on the decisions aibou makes. It is his life, not mine."

"So why did you just sit back and let him marry Anzu, if you knew he was doing it because of you?!" Kaiba demanded, his temper rising. Mou hitori no Yugi scowled.

"Because I wasn't aware of his real reasons until it was too late!" he hissed. The pharaoh turned his face aside, clenching his fists. "I don't know, perhaps it _is_ my fault. I was so adamant about keeping my thoughts to myself as not to influence him, but now I wonder if I shouldn't have told him of some of the more personal memories I'd regained after the Battle City tournament..."

"What kind of memories?" the CEO inquired suspiciously. Yami no Yugi wouldn't look at him.

"Surely you've gleaned at least small slivers of your former life from the sennen item we gave you?"

"From the sennen rod? No. I haven't much touched it in all these years," Kaiba answered curtly. That much was true, but he didn't feel _either_ Yugi needed to know that, often enough, he would brood over the item, telling himself he didn't believe in magic or reincarnation, but unable to bring himself to hold the scepter, despite a sometimes maddening desire to do so. "Don't change the subject. What kind of memories?"

The puzzle spirit still avoided his gaze. He picked up his fork, then quickly set it back down. Seeing no way around it, now that he had opened his mouth, he reluctantly confessed, "I have reason to believe that y--an ancestor of yours and I were lovers." He peered warily up at the brunet from under his eyelashes to gauge his reaction. When only calculating silence met this admission, he sighed as if he had expected as much. "You don't believe me."

"No...I might be able to believe this," Kaiba mused, his eyes lingering on lithe, wiry little body across from him so intensely, the pharaoh could almost believe it _was_ the soul of his priest, reborn in strikingly similar form. The brunet made no attempt to hide the decidedly feral grin that crept over his face. "But why are you telling me this?"

Yami no Yugi was ashamed by the selfish pang of longing that thrilled through his blood at the disturbingly familiar expression, and did something Kaiba hadn't thought he'd live to see: he blushed.

"I was merely answering your question. I was concerned that if I told aibou what I told you now, he would not pursue a relationship with Anzu, simply for my sake. I wouldn't have been able to live with myself, had that been the case." He frowned. "But now he has married her for that very same reason, and I'm afraid it's all my fault. It is my duty to guide him, and it seems I've done a _fantastic_ job of it this time," the spirit muttered darkly.

"...Let me speak to the other, other Yugi."

"No, Kaiba, you cannot tell him this--"

"Why not? It seems to me it would put me ahead."

The spirit of the puzzle made a violent gesture of negation with his hands. "If I decide aibou should know, _I_ will tell him."

The billionaire sat back in his seat, crossing his legs and folding his hands over his thigh with an expression of mild amusement. "I won't tell Yugi," he conceded, "but I won't deny it, should he ask me outright."

"Alright," the dark Yugi agreed reluctantly, "but he may cause a scene. Aibou is not very happy at all about my wresting control from him at the air-port."

Kaiba waved him off. "Understandable. Don't worry; I think I'm capable of handling someone half my size." The pharaoh narrowed his eyes challengingly.

"Are you so sure, Kaiba?" The brunet opened his mouth to argue, then closed it when he saw Yugi blinking back at him with wide eyes. Realization seemed to kick in a moment later, and the young man pushed his chair away from the table violently. He jumped to his feet.

"Wh-Where am I?" he stammered.

"Yugi--"

"Where am I?! I can't--I can't believe you _hijacked_ my body!"

"Yugi, please. Sit down and let's talk about this like civilized--"

"Where are my things? Where's my cell phone??"

Kaiba jabbed a finger towards Yugi's chair. "Sit. Down," he ordered in a voice that left little room for argument. Other patrons of the restaurant were turning to stare at them. Yugi promptly sat down and crossed his arms angrily.

"This is kidnapping..." he muttered furiously under his breath. Kaiba leaned forward.

"You're at Botelli's, an upscale restaurant four miles from Domino Airport. Technically, if you're going to be pointing fingers, it was the spirit of that gaudy necklace of yours who hijacked your body, not me. Your luggage is in the trunk of my car, in the parking lot." He sat back and folded his arms across his chest in much the same manner as Yugi. "And how should I know where your phone is? I didn't take it from you, if that's what you're implying." Yugi began frantically patting himself down until he found the phone in his coat pocket and pulled it out. "Don't bother; you're not going to be able to get a signal in here, and I want to talk to you."

The much smaller male glared at him and opened his cell anyway, twisting around in his seat as he tried to get a decent signal.

"Will you listen to me?" Kaiba snapped, reaching across the table and snatching his phone out of his hand. Yugi made a grab for it and missed, and the billionaire placed it on the table next to his plate of eggs. The tri-color haired boy fumed.

"I need to call Anzu and tell her I missed my flight. She might worry--"

"Will you shut up about Anzu for three seconds?! This isn't about Anzu. This isn't even about me. This is about you, and what an idiot you're being!" Kaiba raked a hand through his hair. "Christ, Yugi, how long do you think you can live through this sham of a marriage before you can't even look yourself in the mirror anymore? A year? Three years? Once she's finally trapped you for good by squeezing out some snot-nosed urchins??"

Yugi sighed sadly. "It's not a sham, Kaiba-kun. I do love Anzu. And...I have feelings for you, too, but I'm married, and I owe Anzu my commitment, if nothing else."

The brunet turned away in disgust, giving the other boy his profile and laying an arm across the edge of the back of his chair. "That's your problem, Yugi, you love everyone. Never willing to put one above another, but spreading the unconditional love all around. Well that's not good enough for me." Kaiba glowered at him from under his bangs. "And I refuse to believe that Anzu can love you as well as I can. Hell, you said it yourself, she only wants that damn pharaoh."

Yugi lowered his head with chagrin. "I might have been a little too hasty in saying that..." The billionaire snorted and Yugi shook his head, looking up at him beseechingly. "But Kaiba-kun, how can it be any more fair for Anzu to love mou hitori no boku and not me, than for you to love me and not mou hitori no boku?" He sighed. "I know you'll say that it's my life and it shouldn't matter what he wants, but it matters to me," Yugi insisted.

"Who said I would ignore your Darkness of Yugi?"

"I--But you--" Yugi was genuinely confused.

Kaiba stared at him intently and cocked an eyebrow. "Does it really surprise you that I would want _both_ Yugis?"

"You and mou hitori no boku don't seem to get along," Yugi stated bluntly. Kaiba frowned and shrugged.

"I won't lie to you, Yugi. Sometimes I can't stand him, but you are the only ones who...excite me the way you do." The brunet's tongue flicked out over his lip in his enthusiasm. There was a feverish glint in his eyes as he leaned forward and grabbed the smaller male's upper arm, pulling him nearer himself. Yugi was bent awkwardly over the table and glanced downward to find the tips of his bangs were nearly trailing in his water glass. "No one else can give me a challenge, can push me to my limits like you. It thrills me and infuriates me, even after all these years." Kaiba slid his mouth along the other youth's jaw to his ear and Yugi shuddered, his fingers curling in the fabric of the tablecloth. "You get under my skin," the blue-eyed boy whispered ardently. "You make my soul burn... There's something that connects us, Yugi--that much, you can't deny."

The multi-color haired boy inhaled tremulously, eyes sliding shut almost against his will. "Kaiba-kun," he breathed so softly, the billionaire might not have heard it, had he not been so close. But he was and he did, and he took it as a sign that Yugi was weakening.

"You've felt it, too," he murmured knowingly, his lips brushing over the shell of Yugi's ear, "that thing that binds us to one another. More than a bond of duelists, Yugi." Kaiba buried his nose against the soft flesh of the smaller boy's throat and breathed deeply. "Let me love you; forget about the rest."

"Kaiba-kun, I **_can't_**," Yugi whispered, the threat of tears behind his voice. Oh _god_, but he wanted to...

"Why not?"

"You _know_ why not."

"Don't insult me by pretending she can feel one tenth what I feel for you."

"My marriage deserves at least a chance. Anzu deserves a chance."

"And I don't??"

Yugi sighed and pulled away, settling back in his chair and turning his face aside. "It would never be a 'chance' with you, Kaiba-kun. You never settle for less than everything."

"Hunh. Why should I?" demanded the brunet reproachfully. "Look where settling has gotten _you_."

"Kaiba..." he growled warningly.

A lazy smirk spread over the CEO's face as he sank back as well. "Ah, now you've let game face Yugi out to tell me not to be so hard on you..." He stirred his coffee with his spoon and glanced up at Yugi from under his eyelashes. "Would you prefer me to lie? Assuage your insecurities by telling you what you want to hear?"

The tri-color haired male blinked and looked away, and Kaiba thought he could still see both Yugis there.

"And what _do_ you want to hear, I wonder?" he mused aloud, tapping the spoon thoughtfully against the lip of his mug. "That you made the right decision in jumping into a loveless marriage at such young age? That you did the _wise_ thing by 'settling' for Anzu?"

"I'm twenty-two years old, Kaiba, and I've always been the same age as you, so stop treating me like a little kid."

"Then stop behaving so naïvely, Yugi!" the brunet snapped. He swore to himself and threw the spoon back onto the table. "If I hadn't been in America up until six months ago, this never would have happened." The boy across from him regarded him levelly.

"Even if you had been there every day, seven years is an awfully long time, for some of us," mou hitori no Yugi said quietly. Kaiba turned his head to stare resentfully out the windows facing in to the courtyard. The spirit picked up his fork once more and continued to finish his fruit in silence.

When Kaiba finally spoke several minutes later, turning from the window, he had regained the detached, business-like tone. "I'll reimburse you for the price of your ticket and make alternative arrangements for your flight, at my expense of course."

Yami sighed and stared down into his green tea. He and aibou had obviously wounded Kaiba's pride, first with the switch and then again with his own remark. "Thank you," he murmured politely. "May I...have the phone back?" The billionaire's eyes flicked to the mentioned object and he handed it over wordlessly, his fingernails brushing the center of Yugi's palm as he placed it in his hand. The other Yugi clutched the cell and sat there looking down at it for several moments.

"Aren't you going to call Anzu?" goaded Kaiba. "You seemed so eager only an hour ago."

"I'm not sure what time it is in New York," Yami no Yugi confessed with some embarrassment, "and aibou should be the one to call her anyway, not me." Kaiba arched one perfectly crafted brow.

"And why is that? Aren't you her husband as well, by association?" he sneered distastefully.

"Well..." The pharaoh scratched the back of his head uncomfortably. "The marriage was between Anzu and aibou, but I did tell him I would support him in whatever decisions--"

"Have you _slept_ with her?"

Mou hitori no Yugi met his gaze unflinchingly. "I don't see how that's any of your business, Kaiba, but no. Not yet," he added, just to rankle the other boy. In truth, the situation had not quite presented itself yet. Yami had no desire whatsoever to impose on the physical intimacy between Yugi and Anzu. And--what he found far more concerning--he suspected his aibou feared being overshadowed and made displeasing by comparison.

"K'!" Kaiba glowered at him, but seemed to recognize for once that he was being baited, and refused to make further comment on the subject. "Japan is 14 hours ahead of New York. It's a little after noon here, so that means it's just past ten o'clock last night on the east coast of the United States."

Yami no Yugi seemed very confused by this information, but nodded. He gazed down at the cell phone again. "I will leave it up to aibou to call. And as you said, I don't think I'd be able to get a signal in this restaurant anyway. Though perhaps I should call Jounouchi-kun... The apartment above the game shop has already been leased, so we will need somewhere to stay for the night, until you are able to get us another flight--"

"You will stay at the mansion. It would be far less hassle at this point for me to fly you myself in the Blue Eyes fighter jet, so things would be easier that way." The other Yugi looked startled.

"Ah--jet?" he repeated with dismay.

"Do you have a problem with that?"

The spirit shut his mouth. Kaiba flying them meant at least 12 hours alone with the brunet. Not that he thought Kaiba would try anything 40,000 feet in the air, but they would have to make stops in Hawaii and California, in the very least. Aibou had mentioned once in passing that Americans found Hawaii very romantic. "Are you sure you have so much time to devote to getting us to New York? I know you are always extremely busy with your company, and I would hate for us to be troublesome."

Kaiba stared at him expressionlessly for a long moment, so long, in fact, that the spirit began to feel uncomfortable with those dark, sapphirine eyes boring into him. He surprised Yami by heaving a weary, drawn out sigh as he looked away to the window once more. "For some people...seven years is a very long time," Kaiba agreed softly. After a moment, he felt a hand cover his own and glanced up sharply to see the pharaoh smiling gently at him.

"Aa. And it **is** good to see you again, Kaiba. We will go with you; I'll make this decision for aibou, at least."

Kaiba's eyes fell to their hands and his own gaze followed. The dark Yugi suppressed a sudden shudder at the unexpected reminder of such large, strong, coaxing, loving, violent hands on his body, driving all coherent thought from his mind, reducing him to little more than a wanton, writhing, pleading whore for that touch---

He withdrew his hand quickly, knowing Aibou would not appreciate any action to encourage Kaiba. Perhaps Yugi was the better one of their pair to withstand the brunet after all.

* * *

Yugi stood in the entryway of the Kaiba mansion, feeling very out of place and guilty. Out of place, because the brightly colored spectacle he made in contrast to the subdued, dignified decorating scheme that screamed of money seemed an offense. Guilty because, well, he by all rights should have been on a plane right now in route to America to live with his wife near the dance academy she attended, not standing in the home of the disgustingly rich, disgustingly influential, disgustingly gorgeous man he'd been in love with for the past six years.

He watched as the brunet handed his carry-on to one of his servants with orders to prepare a guest room on the third floor for Mutou-san. Kaiba had already called a man of his at the Kaiba Corp. branch in San Francisco to claim Yugi's luggage when it came in on the Honolulu flight and to have it waiting for them at the Waikiki Hilton. Kaiba thought of everything. Apparently.

"I have to go make preparations for the jet to be ready first thing tomorrow morning," Kaiba informed him, turning to face him. "In the mean time, feel free to make yourself at home. The kitchen is through there, and the rec room is at the end of the hall. ...Mokuba may be around here somewhere. If you need any help, just ask one of the servants."

"Thank you," Yugi said sotto voce. Kaiba scoffed.

"Don't act so put out, Yugi. I told the spirit of the puzzle that I was doing this because I wanted to, and that's true." He stepped past the shorter youth and paused to place a hand on his shoulder. Kaiba didn't meet the searching gaze Yugi cast up at him, fixing his eyes instead somewhere over his head on the door. "I would not have liked for you to leave without giving me a chance to say goodbye, or to hear--or to hear from you. Excuse me." He removed his hand and swept out of the room. Yugi stared after him.

« Mou hitori no boku... »

«« Hai, aibou? »»

Yugi bit his lip. « Nan...nanimono. »

"Yugi?!" came an incredulous voice from the top of the stairs. The tri-color haired young man whirled around to see Mokuba bounding down to meet him.

"Ah--Hello, Mokuba." He smiled weakly at the younger boy. Mokuba sensed the change in his demeanor from last night and frowned slightly as he came to a stop in front of Yugi.

"What's going on? I thought you were supposed to be on a plane to America by now. Did something happen?" Yugi shook his head quickly.

"I, uh, I missed my flight," he offered sheepishly, bringing a hand up to the back of his head, "and your brother was kind enough to offer to get me another." He didn't mention that Kaiba was flying him personally.

"Oh." Mokuba seemed confused for a moment. "You mean he actually suggested it?"

"Yeah," Yugi smiled, forcing a cheerfulness he didn't feel. A half-truth still felt like a whole lie. Mokuba narrowed his eyes and regarded him a little suspiciously.

"Really?"

Yugi kicked himself mentally for forgetting that this was Mokuba here. Having grown up with the older brother he had, _of course_ Mokuba was unnaturally perceptive. The damn kid could interpret a facial twitch from fifty yards. And Jounouchi had always told Yugi he made a horrible liar.

Yugi's eyes slid away towards the doors to the kitchen. "Well, it was more like an ultimatum, when he found out I was still determined to go, even after he and mou hitori no boku ran off together to have breakfast..." The younger Kaiba grinned widely.

"That sounds more like the Nii-sama I know."

Yugi raised an eyebrow. "Seventeen, and you're still calling him that?" Mokuba flushed suddenly and scowled half-heartedly, coming off looking disturbingly like Seto. Yugi smirked. "Aw, come on, I think it's cute."

"Shut up," the other boy mumbled embarrassedly, giving him a shove. At only 17, having the Kaiba height, Mokuba managed to nearly tower over Yugi, even after the multi-color haired boy's own growth spurt of several inches in his late teens. Yugi laughed, and Mokuba strove to change the subject.

"Hey, Yugi, my afternoon's pretty much free." He jerked a thumb in the direction of the rec room. "Did you wanna hang out, maybe play some foozball or something until Seto gets back?"

«« Aa, aibou, please. Can we? »» Yami asked eagerly. Over the past several years, Yugi'd had a chance to acquaint the former pharaoh with some more modern games, and his darker half had taken to them, quickly living up to his title. The smaller male smiled.

"Sure."

* * *

"Ha!" Mokuba shouted triumphantly. "I win!"

"Aa," Yami grinned, "it would appear we're evenly matched."

The teen tossed his air hockey paddle into the air and caught it again as it came down. "It's four games to four. Wanna play a tie-breaker?"

Mou hitori no Yugi leaned on his hip against the edge of the table and crossed his arms. "I have another suggestion."

"Yeah?"

"Last night, at the party, you were telling us how well you're doing in the national Duel Monsters tournament semi-finals, but you were being modest. I hear you're heavily favored to win your district."

Mokuba shrugged, as if it were no big deal. "Maybe. Is that supposed to be a challenge, Other Yugi?"

"Maybe," the pharaoh echoed with an amused expression. "I should like to see for myself how good you are." Lifting an eyebrow, the raven haired boy smirked.

"I dunno... You haven't competed professionally in a looong time."

"Then all the better for you; you may actually have a slim chance at victory."

"Ouch. Looks like someone's finally got a sense of humor." Mokuba's grin widened. "Okay, you're on." He reached under the air hockey table to shut it off and motioned for Yugi to follow him. "We'll have to go get my deck from Seto's study, though."

The puzzle spirit trailed the younger boy up the stairs and through the many winding hallways on the second floor. "Do you always keep your deck in your brother's study?" he asked curiously.

"Ah, no. But we were playing a couple matches the other night before something came up at Kaiba Corp and we had to take off for the office, and I forgot it there," Mokuba explained.

Yami nodded thoughtfully. "Kaiba hasn't competed in any tournaments lately either, has he?"

The younger Kaiba shook his head. "No, not since...everything with the Doom organization." The dark Yugi frowned as Mokuba stopped in front of a heavy oak door that looked to him like every other door on this floor and opened it to lead him inside.

The pharaoh paused to stand awkwardly in the center of the room, unable to dispel the feeling that he was intruding on a private sanctuary of Kaiba's. He gazed about the study in quiet amazement. Unlike the many uninhabited rooms, or those that seemed intended almost solely for Mokuba's use, this room was uniquely Kaiba. From the rich, solid teakwood furniture to the various books and pieces of half-disassembled inventions scattered over the desk, to the subtle but undeniable undercurrent of blue, the room exhibited the brunet's influence wherever he looked.

While Mokuba dug for his deck of cards in the drawer of the coffee table, Mou hitori no Yugi overcame his initial hesitance and stepped closer to the bookcase. There were dozens of books that seemed to relate to history or physics, biology or philosophy, but just as many novels. Yami ran his finger over the spines. Japanese, English, Spanish, French, and a few other languages he didn't even recognize.

« ...German, Latin...Greek?? »

«« Hmm. Kaiba is very well-read. »»

« _I'll_ say... »

"Hold on a second," Mokuba muttered, "I know it's in here somewhere."

Yami no Yugi turned from the bookcase and his eye roamed over Kaiba's desk. He walked slowly around the perimeter of the piece of furniture with his hands held behind his back. On the far side of the desktop he came to a stack of papers with lines of small, hurried handwriting scrawled across the pages, as well as sketches of what looked like yet another gaming system of some sort. He cocked his head, narrowing his eyes as he spotted what looked like an arm and a hand. Glancing surreptitiously at Mokuba to make sure he wasn't being watched, the pharaoh pinched the corner of the sheet and carefully tugged it from under the other papers. His brow furrowed as more and more of the sketch was revealed: a shoulder, draped with a blanket or sheet of some sort; long, flowing hair; a girl's face with such large, sad eyes--

The spirit jumped as the shrill ring of a cell phone broke the quiet, and guiltily jerked his hand away. Mokuba groaned softly in irritation as he pulled his phone from his pocket.

"Mokuba. ...... Nani? ...... Are you sure? ...... No. ..... No. ..... Yeah, I'll be right there." He snapped the phone shut and glanced at Yugi apologetically. "Something's come up and I've got to go over to Kaiba Corp. Duties of the vice president, and all that crap. I'm really sorry." The lanky teen sighed and ran a hand through his shaggy mop of hair. "At least I managed to convince them they don't need Seto on this." He shook his head with disgust. "I'll have to take a rain check on that duel..."

"It's alright. I understand," the puzzle spirit assured Mokuba, concealing his disappointment. "We will have to have a duel some other time, then."

The taller boy nodded enthusiastically, shoving his phone into one pocket and his deck into another. "Maybe this weekend," he offered.

"Mokuba, by then, we will be living all the way in New York."

The raven haired young man's head shot up. "...Right!" He stared at the pharaoh with wide eyes. "I know that. I meant, you know, that I could visit or something. If it's okay with you, of course." Yami no Yugi nodded.

"Of course. You are always welcome in our house," he told him sincerely.

"Right. I mean, thanks. I mean--" Mokuba checked his watch anxiously. "I've got to go. That place would fall apart without me and nii-sama. Ja, Yugis!"

The opportunity for competition over, Yami retreated to his soul room, relinquishing control of the body. "Ah, Mokuba--!" The door shut behind the teen and Yugi lowered the hand he had raised to stop him.

« I don't suppose you remember the way well enough to know how to get out of here, mou hitori no boku? »

«« ...No, I'm sorry, aibou. All the hallways looked the same to me. »»

Yugi spotted a phone on Kaiba's desk. Maybe there was a house number he could call to have one of the servants come show them back downstairs. He had taken a step towards the telephone when his eyes fell on the glass case in the far corner of the study.

«« Sennen rod! »» his other self exclaimed suddenly.

Taking a few tentative steps towards the case, he halted in front of it and laid his hand against the glass. As he stared at the item, it seemed to him that it could sense the pharaoh's presence...or at least the proximity of the puzzle.

« Do you think Kaiba-kun... »

«« No. He said he doesn't touch it. »» Yugi pressed both hands to the case, then pulled his right hand away with surprise when the glass slid back an inch.

« It's unlocked. » After casting a guilty glance over his shoulder toward the doorway, he pushed the case the rest of the way open. He knew what he was doing was wrong, but he wasn't going to hurt anything. He only wanted to see it. Yugi reached inside to lay his fingers on the rod. The smooth metal was cool to the touch and he carefully withdrew the object. The tri-color haired boy slid his fingertips over the delicately wrought gold, the small wing-like projections from the head, and the eye of Horus. At his other self's silent urging, his fingers wrapped around the item and he unsheathed the dagger.

"How did you get in here?"

Yugi nearly jumped out of his skin and spun towards the door. "Kaiba-kun--!"

The brunet's eyes fell on the rod in his hands and he strode across the room angrily. "What were you doing with that?"

"Nothing--" Kaiba snatched the two pieces from him and re-sheathed the blade as he glared suspiciously.

"This is--ah!" The billionaire hissed and dropped the golden item suddenly. Yugi took a step back and knocked into the desk, sending the stack of papers Yami had disturbed earlier to the floor. The sennen rod hit the carpet with a dull thud and Kaiba stared down at it with wide eyes.

"I'm sorry," the smaller male stammered, feeling very hemmed in with Kaiba standing over him like that as he practically sat on the edge of the desk. Kaiba either didn't hear him or ignored him, frowning now at his hands as he rubbed his thumbs over his fingertips. He finally looked up at Yugi and narrowed his eyes.

"How did you do that?" he demanded.

"Do what?"

"The heat... It burned my hands, but you were holding it two seconds ago."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Yugi insisted, "but if mou hitori no boku or I did anything, it wasn't intentional."

The brunet set his mouth firmly and seemed to be trying to decide whether to believe him or not. In an effort to make amends for his intrusive behavior, Yugi slid off the desk and crouched to collect the papers he'd scattered. Kaiba watched him for a moment before he dropped to a knee and touched the sennen item cautiously, not wanting a repeat of what had just happened. The rod remained only slightly warm, just enough so for Kaiba to find it unsettling. He picked it up and held it tightly, but nothing happened. Raising his arm, he brandished it at the other boy, still to no avail.

Yugi paid no attention to the CEO as he hastily gathered the sheets of notes and sketches into one pile. His hand hovered over the drawing of the girl hesitantly, then he reached for it. Kaiba was faster, snatching the page from the floor and crumpling it in his fist. He took the stack from Yugi's hand abruptly and stood.

The violet-eyed youth climbed to his feet awkwardly, watching as Kaiba placed the papers back in a drawer and dropped the balled up sketch into the wastebasket. The billionaire returned the sennen item to its case, then pivoted to face Yugi. He stepped into the smaller duelist's personal space, forcing him to tilt his head back to meet his gaze, and Yugi backed into the desk again. His fingers curled around the top edge and he leaned backwards; Kaiba continued advancing.

"I--Were you able to make arrangements for a flight?" Yugi asked, if only to break the silent tension of the room. He tried to ignore the squirming of his insides as Kaiba paused in front of him. Yugi suddenly realized that he had shed his trademark trench some time during his absence and traded his turtleneck for a silver-gray linen button-down of much lighter material. He looked good. Way better than "good." Yugi averted his eyes.

"Aa," the brunet informed him, crossing his arms and shifting his weight forward on one hip. His knee brushed Yugi's thigh. "Everything's in order for us to leave early tomorrow morning. We'll spend the night in Waikiki, leave for California the next morning, spend that night at my place in San Francisco, then leave for New York the day after that."

"Three days?" Yugi repeated with dismay. He had been hoping to get to New York as soon as possible, re, spend as little time alone with the brunet as he could manage. Kaiba gave him a reproving look.

"Well, if I'm to do all the flying myself. If you're in that much of a hurry, we can just go straight over Honolulu. It should only take another four hours or so to reach California from there..."

"Ah, I wasn't thinking--no, three days is fine, Kaiba-kun," he murmured, somewhat embarrassed. He knew from experience how tiring it was to drive a car for four hours; there was no way he could expect the man to fly them in a plane for eight. "Are you sure it's no trouble?" He met the billionaire's gaze earnestly. "New York is an awfully long ways to go out of your way for a friend."

"Friend?" Kaiba echoed as he pressed closer to the smaller male, and there was no pretending the hand that slid over Yugi's hip to lay flat against the desktop, still touching the shorter male, was any accidental brush. The tri-color haired boy held his breath without realizing it, and Kaiba's lips tugged upwards at the corner in a complacent half-grin. "You wound me, Yugi. I would have thought after seven years, I might have achieved a little higher regard in your eyes?" He arched a brow questioningly as he rubbed his thumb slowly against the fabric at the other youth's hip. Yugi shied from the touch as much as his position would allow and made a big production of feeling his pockets for his cell phone.

"I-I should call Anzu to let her know I won't be in on the flight I thought I would. It's...what time is it there?" he mumbled to himself as he pulled out the phone and searched through his pre-programmed numbers. Japan was 14 hours ahead of New York, and it was three in the afternoon here, so that meant it was...it was...

"One in the morning," Kaiba informed him helpfully.

"...Oh." Disappointed, Yugi returned the phone to his pocket. His flight had been scheduled to depart at 10:40 a.m. Another hour from now, and he should have been changing flights at Honolulu International. All he had with him was his carry-on and his computer, the rest having gone on without him. Mokuba, "the social Kaiba," had taken off for Kaiba Corp, and there was no telling when he might return. Anzu would be fast asleep by now, Jounouchi-kun and Mai would each be at work. Even if his jii-chan hadn't been visiting a colleague in Europe, he doubted he would call him, either. He was still extremely close to the man who had been his only family, but he wasn't 16 anymore. What on earth was he supposed to do with himself until tomorrow morning?

The blue-eyed CEO seemed to guess at his train of thought, judging by the look on his face. "I have a few suggestions on how we can spend the next several hours, if you'd care to hear them," he offered, the hand on the desk slipping up under the hem of Yugi's shirt to rest on his hip bone.

"K-Kaiba-kun..." he demurred, swallowing nervously. His heart was pounding against his ribcage and his mouth went dry as he attempted to move away from the brunet. Kaiba's hands followed, and the larger boy's other hand joined the first at Yugi's waist, effectively pinning him in place.

"Perhaps actions would better convince you of my seriousness than words, Yugi." He nudged the young man's chin upwards with his own until he was looking up at him, and Yugi found himself drowning in blue. "I've never been very fond of words, myself," he confessed, dipping his head to press a hot, moist mouth to the side of the boy's neck. Yugi's fingers tightened painfully around the edge of the desktop as a jolt of electricity shot down his spine. He choked back a moan.

Kaiba took the lack of active resistance as license to continue. Sliding his mouth along the column of Yugi's throat and over his jaw, he kissed his upper lip softly. Yugi tensed, expecting the violent possessiveness he'd been treated with at the airport, and his mind screamed at him to turn, run away and never look back, but then Kaiba's tongue skated over his lower lip, warm and soft and wet, and his mouth opened without thought.

The young billionaire slipped his tongue into his mouth, kissing him gently, languidly at first. Yugi reached up and braced his hands against his chest, struggling to push the much stronger boy away, even as his traitorous mouth moved against Kaiba's (so good, don't stop, _god_, don't stop) and his eyes slipped shut. The brunet only pressed nearer to him--puzzle in the way, move it--nearer still--sit him on the desk, yes, yes--exploring intimately the slick texture of his teeth, the roof of his mouth, his tongue twining with his eagerly, hungrily. This was wrong. He shouldn't be here. He shouldn't be enjoying this! Yugi shuddered, his skin aflame wherever those long, cool fingers touched, and his own hands--horrible, such a betrayal--slithered behind Kaiba's neck and into his hair. The throbbing between his legs worsened when he felt the lanky billionaire, hard against his thigh.

"Stop," he moaned, the words mostly lost to the brunet's rapacious mouth. "Kaiba-kun, no..."

The pressure of Kaiba's mouth eased and he took his time, trapping Yugi's bottom lip between his teeth and tugging gently at it to prolong the kiss as he pulled away. The slighter of the pair's fingers slid nervelessly from the silken, chestnut strands and landed lightly on broad shoulders. Yugi stared mindlessly up into those intense azure eyes that were watching him so intently, half surprised that Kaiba had actually stopped when asked. He suddenly shoved the CEO violently away.

Kaiba stood his ground easily, but straightened, his hands falling from the smaller male's sides. Scrambling backwards quickly, Yugi knocked the phone and a paper weight from the desk in his haste as he scurried off of the piece of furniture.

"I--I have to go," he stuttered, not meeting the billionaire's gaze. Before Kaiba could stop him, he'd bolted for the door.

"Yugi!"

Yugi paused reluctantly in the doorway, his hand on the frame and his back to the other boy. When Kaiba spoke again, his voice was cold and uncompromising.

"Don't force me to compete with Anzu. She can't win, and I will crush her, if necessary. Remember that."

Yugi's fingers tightened on the doorframe for a moment, and then he disappeared down the hall.

* * *

Solitaire: Am hating the formatting ff. net has here...


	2. What You Never Knew You Were Missing

Title: Unlovable Schemer  
Author: Solitaire (of Solitaire and Xpyne)  
Rating: R  
Archive: Anywhere, I don't care, as long as you keep my name attached. It'd be nice if you let me know, though.  
Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh. If I did, well, let's just say it would no longer be marketable to ten-year olds.

A/N Solitaire: Someone made a comment last time about wishing I translated the Japanese. Well, I thought I did, so either I'm missing something here (which is more than possible), or you guys are... ::sweatdrop::

Sorry in advance about any confusion concerning thoughts vs. mental conversations vs. flashback/memory--I assure you it's all _stylistically_ intentional. I just can't make any promises about my consistency. And I totally forgot to explain the following stuff, even though I made a note to myself so I wouldn't, so maybe this will clear some things up. I found out after I loaded this file that none of my symbols showed up, so I had to get creative and spent three hours fixing the chapter, and then had to go back and fix chapter 1. ¬.¬

¦ thoughts ¦

╔ phone conversations, tv ╗

« Yugi "talking" to Yami »

«« Yami "talking" to Yugi »»

_stuff that's being remembered_

(something said under one's breath, like when there's tiny print off to the side of a word bubble in manga; I liked it better when the font inside the parenthesis was smaller as well, but I can't get that format on ff. net)

General timeline: Set five(?) years after Battle City. This means Yugi, Kaiba, and the rest of the gang are 22. Mokuba is 17. I'm not sure exactly how much younger than Jounouchi she's supposed to be, so I'm putting Shizuka around 19. I'm pretty much ignoring anything that happens in the series after BC (except for the Doom Arc, but only as a referent as to changes in Yami no Yugi's personality and trust issues between him and Yugi). In the timeline of this story, the spirit of the puzzle was given the choice to return to the Memory World after saving the world, but declined, based on his promise to stay with Yugi forever. Kaiba has become over the course of the intervening years (though he'd die before admitting it) decent enough friends with Yugi-tachi (Yugi and the gang).

itadakimasu -- something said before a meal, kind of like "bon appetite" or "let's enjoy"  
sake -- Japanese rice wine  
mochi -- Japanese ice cream that comes in little bars or pieces, with a doughy sort of covering, I think  
Magic and Wizards -- the card game they always play in the manga, it's just referred to as "Duel Monsters" in the anime

If it seems like any of the characters are a little f.o.b. (::cough:: especially Yami), I know. It's on purpose. Because of heavy translation, that's how it comes out in the subtitles for the Japanese anime, but I've found that I really like it that way, and it helps me keep the boys in character and feel like I'm staying true to the manga.

And, er, just for fair warning, there's a little bit of lime at the beginning of this chapter.

* * *

**Unlovable Schemer**  
Chapter Two - What You Never Knew You Were Missing 

Baby was smooth but I knew it was game  
Helluva cool but you men are the same  
The way he licked his lips and touched my hips  
I knew that he was slick  
- Pink, "You Make me Sick"

Yugi collapsed gratefully onto the cool cotton sheets of his Western-style bed and pulled a pillow over his head. It had taken him five minutes after he'd run from Kaiba's study to realize he was utterly lost, and another five to encounter an upstairs maid who could direct him to his room.

"_Don't force me to compete with Anzu. She can't win, and I will crush her..."_

Yugi groaned and rolled over onto his stomach. ¦Why me?¦ He shifted uncomfortably, his erection still straining painfully against his leather pants. He buried his face further into the pillows. There was no way he was going to..._touch_ himself in Kaiba's house.

Feeling the familiar, reassuring brush against his consciousness, he allowed his other self to coax him into the corridors of his mind. He soon found himself standing in the hallway between their respective soul rooms. The door to his own room was ajar, and he stepped inside to see Darkness of Yugi sitting on his "bed." His other self held open his arms, appearing sympathetic and amused at the same time. Yugi wore an ill-humored expression, but came and sat down next to him nonetheless.

« Mou hitori no boku, why-- »

Yami reached up to hold his face in his hands and silenced him with a hard kiss. When he pulled back a full minute later, it was to lick his lips and leave Yugi dazed. «« There will be time for questions later, aibou,»» he murmured, his warm breath tickling the young man's ear with each excited little pant, «« but I think there are more pressing matters to be dealt with at the moment? »» The spirit of the puzzle brushed his fingers lightly over the front of Yugi's pants, smiling as the action elicited a hitched intake of breath.

Yugi pressed forward eagerly to kiss his other half again. His mouth opened willingly to the pharaoh, and he met the invading tongue fiercely with his own. The flame of lust rekindled instantly, low in his belly, and he reached for Yami no Yugi, only to have the other elude his hands with that infuriating grin, and slide from the bed to kneel before him between his legs.

« Other me...» he groaned as the spirit deftly opened his pants and released his aching arousal. Warm breath washed over him and he shuddered, biting his lip. « Please...» Yami was quick to comply, and Yugi's head fell back in ecstasy when he felt firm lips close around the tip of his erection. The pharaoh laved at him carefully with maddeningly inconsistent pressure, and Yugi's hands wound their way into his hair, tugging frantically.

Mou hitori no Yugi gripped his partner's knee with one hand to keep himself upright, while the other sought his own pleasure, unfastening his identical leather pants to wrap around his hardened flesh. He moaned, his eyes slipping shut, and sank down on Yugi's arousal, taking him deeper into his mouth. The younger boy hissed through clenched teeth, his hips jerking forward.

« Ah-- »

Bobbing over his aibou's lap, he increased the speed of his hand on himself, even as he teased the other young man mercilessly, first taking in more, then less, now pressing his tongue to the underside of the organ. Yugi growled and fisted his hands in the lush tresses of his other self's hair, thrusting into that hot, wet mouth and trembling as he felt the pressure building unbearably in his abdomen. Yami worked Yugi ardently, taking great satisfaction in every moan and breathless gasp he was able to coax from the normally shy boy; **_his_**, all his. He pumped himself urgently, sliding his thumb over the tip every so often, and relaxed the muscles of his throat to swallow his partner's erection.

Yugi cried out sharply as he reached his climax, his fingers clenching painfully in the multi-colored locks. Yami felt the boy's fluids hit the back of his throat and dutifully swallowed, releasing moments later into his hand with a groan.

As Yugi slumped bonelessly back against the mattress, the spirit wiped at his mouth with the back of a hand and fastened his aibou's pants again, followed by his own. He crawled onto the bed beside the younger male and leaned over him to brush sweaty bangs from his face and kiss his forehead.

"Why did you tell Kaiba we were leaving Japan?"

The Other Yugi stretched out alongside him, bracing his elbow on the mattress and propping his head on a hand. The fingers of his free hand played delicately over his host's collarbone as he considered how to answer. "Well--"

"If you hadn't gone and called him, he never would have shown up at the airport," Yugi mumbled.

"...Is that really what you would have wanted?"

The violet-eyed youth turned his face aside and remained sullenly silent. "It would have been _better_," he finally said.

"Better for whom? Aibou... You told me before, you loved Kaiba. Can you honestly turn your back on that, without ever knowing what might have come of it?"

Sighing, Yugi threw an arm over his face. "Maybe not seven years ago, and heck, maybe not three weeks ago, but we're married now, mou hitori no boku. _Mar_-_ried_. It's his own fault. Kaiba-kun damn well could've said something at some point in there! He was invited to the wedding, for god's sake."

The spirit gently pried Yugi's arm from his face, kissing the underside of his forearm. "I can't claim to know why Kaiba has waited so long to make his advances, but if it makes any difference, I think his intentions are sincere."

Yugi blushed and rolled his eyes, a bit embarrassed. "Jeez, you make it sound so official. For all I know, he just wants to get into my pants."

"All I'm saying, aibou--" He rolled into a sitting position, giving the younger boy a stern look. "--is that I think you should give the matter some thought." He ran a hand through Yugi's hair as he continued. "You've never spent any time romantically with anyone but Anzu, and even then, you two didn't start "dating" until you were engaged. Twenty-two is...an awfully young age to have the responsibility of marriage and a family thrust upon one." He figured Yugi didn't need to hear about his memories of being forced into his own marriage back in Egypt, when he had been roughly the same age as him. He had done it out of duty to his country and his people, but Yugi was, fortunately, under no such obligation. "You still have your whole life ahead of you, aibou." ¦And I don't want to you look back on it at the end, only to have regrets,¦ he added silently.

The messy-haired young man blinked up at him, his brow furrowing slightly. "Then I should want to spend as much of it as possible with the ones I love," he agreed cautiously, "like you and Anzu." He sat up to face his other self fully. "...You do love Anzu, don't you?"

A similar frown of unease creased Yami's brow as he chose his words carefully. "A kinder, more vivacious, beautiful young woman I cannot remember knowing. If she has made you happy, there could be no other requirement for my love."

"But you kissed Kaiba at the airport." It wasn't so much an accusation as a statement of fact, and the pharaoh nodded slowly.

"Aa, I did... But to be fair, he was the one doing the kissing in the first place."

"You still kissed back."

"So did you."

"I--! That was different!"

"How?"

"Well, for one thing, I couldn't get away!"

Yami no Yugi raised a skeptical eyebrow and the other boy flushed, yet remained indignant. "Couldn't, or didn't want to?" the ancient spirit mused aloud. Yugi flushed deeper, but remained stubbornly silent, refusing to further incriminate himself. His other self watched him with a knowing little smirk and finally relented, letting the subject drop. "You should get some sleep, aibou. You've had a stressful day. That party last night went very late, and Kaiba will be flying us from Japan very early tomorrow." His smirk became a full-blown, almost malicious grin. "And let's not forget you'll most likely have quite a bit of cleaning up to do, now that I've had my way with you."

"Shit!" Yugi came back to himself with a jolt and rolled over onto his back. He grimaced up at the ceiling. Despite his other self's less than reassuring comments, Yugi was confident of his own love for Anzu, at least. Kaiba-kun's offer (if it could be called that) was flattering in the extreme, and he'd be lying if he said he'd never imagined what it might be like to have a relationship with the billionaire, but it was completely unrealistic. God, a relationship with the CEO of what was probably the world's most lucrative, most high-profile gaming company (and named by a certain magazine as America's sexiest businessman three years running, since Kaiba Corp had expanded to California, his mind helpfully reminded him)? And a **man**, at that. He couldn't even _begin_ to imagine what his grandfather might think.

The tri-color haired young man threw his legs over the side of the bed and pushed himself into a sitting position. No, he had been smart to settle down with Anzu. She was an attractive woman, and he'd always had some feelings for her--he just hadn't realized how deeply they went until more recently.

He loved Anzu, and was lucky to have her. There was no contest. Kaiba would just have to understand that, and accept it, whether he liked it or not.

* * *

Yami no Yugi sat in his own soul room, his legs tucked up under him and eyes closed. His brow furrowed.

The spirit sat that way for what may have been five minutes or an hour, he had long ago lost any sense of time, and was often surprised to find that life could move at such a fast pace, whenever he took an opportunity to experience the world through his partner's senses. Opening his eyes, he stared off at the wall, lost in thought.

He and Yugi were two separate souls, despite being connected in ways even he couldn't pretend to understand fully; by all rights, he was his own, independent being, in all but body. So why did he feel so guilty about not loving Anzu?

Because Yugi wanted him to, obviously. But Yami had his concerns.

His aibou had chosen to marry Anzu with disturbingly little deliberation, for a boy who would agonize over what to have for lunch or what to wear that day. He suspected there had been a fair amount of pressure, unintentional for the most part, from Yugi's grandfather to "settle down with a nice girl." The elder Mutou was getting on in years, and Yami understood that he wanted his grandson to be happy, but he only wished the man hadn't kept bringing it up, asking if Aibou was seeing anyone whenever they visited from college. Criticism tended to roll off Yugi like water, but that didn't mean his host was comfortable getting the same lecture over and over again, especially from Sugoroku.

That reason alone was enough to make his partner reluctant to divulge his infrequent but varied dating habits (Yami had a feeling Yugi preferred males on the whole), and especially their own admittedly confusing relationship. But should he have said something earlier? Could he have stopped Yugi from marrying Anzu at a word? Yugi had asked him for his advice more than ever these past couple months during his engagement and consequent marriage, but more than ever, he'd been reluctant to give it. He was trying to be impartial here, but he couldn't exactly tell the boy that he wasn't the best choice for an unbiased arbitrator because of his history with Kaiba in a past life. He didn't want Aibou to feel obligated to "reunite" him and Kaiba; he wanted the young man to make his own decision.

But now Yugi was unhappy, or conflicted at the very least, so sitting back and giving him the go-ahead no matter what conclusions he came to obviously didn't work either. His other half clearly needed guidance, but the kind that came from listening to his heart, not a voice in his head. Yami trusted his partner to make the best decision for his own life. Aibou just needed to learn to trust himself.

* * *

There was a knock at the door and Yugi started. He set down the book he had brought for the flight and been reading to kill time. He stood from the bed and dragged himself to the door, half fearing it was Kaiba come looking to ravish him, but found only a very innocuous-looking, motherly woman who informed him that dinner was ready and Seto-sama was waiting for him. 

Yugi followed her down two flights of stairs and into the kitchen, where he encountered Kaiba, his nose stuck in an issue of America's Wall Street Journal. He blinked at the scene before him, comprehension a bit slow in dawning, and he sat down at the table, eying the brunet warily, but the other boy made no acknowledgement of his presence. Yugi felt a little foolish, but at the same time, relieved. He had expected to be shown to a huge formal dining room where he and Kaiba would have to sit at opposite ends of a ten-foot table, with fancy Western silverware, wine glasses, and immaculate white cloth napkins, subjected to a five-course banquet. Instead, it was the two of them at a small, cozy table that seated four in an open dining area just off the kitchen. He'd been right about the napkins, though.

The seconds ticked by in what Yugi found a very uncomfortable silence, the only sounds being that of their breathing, and the crinkling when Kaiba turned a page of his newspaper. Before too long, however, the older woman returned with a plate in each hand, a pitcher of iced tea, and a bottle of hot sake. The multi-color haired young man thanked her humbly, not accustomed to being waited on, but she just smiled and nodded. When Yugi assured her there was nothing else needed, she gave him a little bow and prepared to leave, but not before reaching over Kaiba's shoulder and snatching the paper from him.

The billionaire made a small indignant noise and the woman merely clucked her tongue, folding the paper and tucking it under her arm. "Oi, Seto-sama, I slave away in the kitchen for you and your guest before I can go home for the night, and you'll let it get cold for your stocks," she admonished, much to Kaiba's obvious annoyance, but his glare seemed to have little effect on her. "You'll find your Wall Street in the den after you've finished. Itadakimasu!"

"Good _night_, Asumi," he growled pointedly as the woman bustled out of the room.

The corner of Yugi's mouth turned up ever so slightly in a smile and he lowered his head quickly, lest Kaiba see it and become irritated at him, too. He was again surprised by the simple meal of grilled shrimp and lime, asparagus, and mashed potatoes. For some reason, he would have thought the CEO too uptight to ever enjoy something like mashed potatoes.

Kaiba evidently saw the look Yugi was giving his plate and felt the need to explain.

"It's Mokuba's favorite."

It was then Yugi registered the younger Kaiba's conspicuous absence. "Ah-Where _is_ Mokuba? He hasn't gotten back yet?"

"He called a short while ago to say he's staying over a friend's tonight," the brunet informed him without looking up. He picked through his asparagus, eating only the top halves and leaving the bottoms.

"...Oh." Yugi flushed when he realized he was staring and quickly turned his attention to his food. "It's good," he offered meekly. Kaiba gave a grunt that Yugi interpreted as agreement, and poured them each a small glass of sake. In his nervousness, the smaller male sucked his down quickly before going back to the food in front of him.

For the next few minutes, Kaiba seemed to be as focused on his food as Yugi was pretending to be, until he eventually noticed Yugi's glass was empty and refilled it. Yugi murmured his thanks, then drank it down quickly again when the brunet had looked away, and the silence stretched on. Finally unable to take it any longer, Yugi cleared his throat.

"So, um, how are things at Kaiba Corp?"

Kaiba's fork paused and he glanced up at the other boy from under a messy fringe of brown hair, wondering if Yugi was going anywhere in particular with this.

"...Good. This quarter's profits are up, and Mokuba seems to be getting on well, what with learning how to run the company while still attending school."

Yugi nodded; Mokuba was a safe enough topic, so he decided to run with it. "Mokuba was telling us last night that he did okay at his high school, until we weaseled it out of him that he's valedictorian."

"Of course. For what it's worth, seeing as none of the other kids his age make much of an effort whatsoever to apply themselves." Despite the rather disparaging remark, Yugi could hear the note of pride in Kaiba's voice.

"He and Shi--ah..." Yugi's mouth snapped shut and the brunet cocked an eyebrow. "I mean, a friend--" Kaiba stared him down for a long moment before cracking his first grin all evening.

"What's the matter, Yugi? Let something slip you shouldn't have?"

The amethyst-eyed boy wrung his cloth napkin in his hands. Kaiba had plainly come to tolerate Jounouchi-kun a lot easier than he had in high school, and even (gasp) held a small amount of respect for him, but Mokuba wasn't so sure that respect extended to the point that he would be okay with his brother dating Shizuka, and had asked the rest of them to keep quiet about it. "I, um--"

Kaiba snorted. "I already know all about Mokuba and that mediocre guy's sister. Do you think I'm blind? I know he's been seeing her for almost a year now while I've been in America." Sitting back, he took a sip of his sake. "And I'm not dense enough to think 'studying' is all that goes on in that room of his, either." He shrugged in a resigned manner. "I'm content to let them have their little secret, for now. But god forbid he marry that girl and make Jounouchi my brother-in-law..." Kaiba shook his head with an exaggerated scowl of disgust and drained the rest of his glass. Yugi laughed as the brunet refilled their glasses, but his laughter abruptly stopped when the other boy reached over to lay a hand along the side of his neck, gently cupping his jaw. "And speaking of idiotic marital decisions..."

Yugi's head suddenly swam, it had to be the alcohol, and he tried to remember how many drinks he'd had. Kaiba leaned in closer and he struggled not to hyperventilate. Yugi could feel his warm breath against his cheek. "Kaiba-kun..." he warned in a hitched voice.

The billionaire gave a slightly frustrated sigh. "Sorry," he murmured against Yugi's temple. "Would you like some dessert?" Without waiting for an answer, he stood from his chair and took both of their empty plates. "I'll meet you in the family room when I've finished up here. It's the room just across the hall."

Kaiba retreated into the kitchen and Yugi stared down at the napkin twisted in his lap. After a moment, he stood and grabbed his glass of sake, gulping it down before he hurried from the informal dining room.

He found the family room easily and sat down on the couch, his knees pressed together. « Mou hitori no boku... »

«« Hmm? »»

« ...I think I had too much to drink. » He could feel his other self's amusement through their link.

«« Really now? »»

« And Kaiba-kun's going to come in here any minute, and he's...he's doing it again. »

«« Would you like me to take over for you? »»

« No! » Yugi exclaimed, panicked. He was beginning to trust his other half less than he trusted himself when it came to Kaiba. « Just...tell me what to do! »

Yami no Yugi was quiet for a moment. «« Do you mean, how to reciprocate? »»

« **_No_**! I mean how to keep him from...from kissing me again. »

«« ....... »»

« Mou hitori no boku!! »

«« I'm _thinking_. ...You could ask him for a duel. It **has** been quite a while, for both us and him, from what Mokuba said. I think that would keep him properly distracted. »»

« Okay, that could work, » Yugi agreed nervously, « but I'll be the one in control of the body. »

«« Whatever you wish, aibou. »»

Yugi tensed as he felt a hand cover his eyes. "Open your mouth," Kaiba's voice said softly from over his shoulder. He hesitantly did so, against his better judgment, and felt Kaiba slip something cold and sweet past his lips. It took him a few moments to recognize the taste that melted on his tongue.

"M-mochi?"

Kaiba's hand lifted from his eyes and he watched as the brunet placed a plate of the frozen treat in his lap and a glass of sake in his hand. "Thank you," he stammered, breathing an internal sigh of relief when the larger male moved from behind him to step around the couch. Kaiba was just about to sit beside him when Yugi suddenly blurted, "We should have a duel." Kaiba halted halfway to his seat, his hand gripping the arm of the sofa to support his weight.

"Ah, what? You're serious?"

Yugi nodded enthusiastically. "It's been years since either of us has played a game of Magic and Wizards with you, and...and I think mou hitori no boku would really enjoy it."

Kaiba eyed him suspiciously. "Hunh. I'll bet he would. Alright, then." Relocating himself to the love seat on the other side of the coffee table, he pulled his deck from the pocket of his slacks. Yugi wondered if he should even bother finding it odd that Kaiba was carrying it around with him at what was apparently all times. But then again, he often did the same. "Stakes?"

The slighter young man was startled from his reverie. "Huh?"

Kaiba was watching him carefully. "Are we going to wager anything on this game?"

«« Winner gets to sleep with Aibou. »»

"Mou hitori no boku!" he shouted suddenly down at his puzzle in horror.

«« What? »» Yami asked so innocently, Yugi couldn't tell whether it was feigned or not. «« You don't plan on losing, do you? »»

"I--You--Mou hitori no boku says we don't need a wager. We'll just play for fun," Yugi stuttered, plastering a smile onto his face. The blue-eyed boy was looking at him with a half-smirk, and Yugi was sure he didn't buy his story for a second.

"Okay," Kaiba agreed, "for fun."

* * *

"If Jounouchi-kun's told me once, he's told me a hundred times: you're the designated driver because you're too small and you get drunk after two drinks." Yugi held up three fingers. He frowned at his hand and put one of his fingers down. Kaiba nodded, humoring him, as he helped the other young man stumble to his room. 

"Those were some good games," Yugi conceded, jumping to a completely different topic as Kaiba led him through the door and towards his guest bed. "But I still think you tricked me in that last game. There can't be **three** Blue Eyes White Dragons..." Kaiba rolled his eyes behind Yugi's back.

"Here you go, Yugi."

"Wait! I wan' tell you a secret." He leaned in to whisper to the other young man loudly. "I think I'm drunk, Kaiba-kun."

"Call me Seto."

Yugi blushed furiously. "S-Seto," he repeated softly, testing the word and liking how it rolled off his tongue. "I'm drunk, Seto." The brunet grinned and nodded in agreement.

"I have a secret for you, too," he murmured. "Do you want to hear it?"

"What is it?" Yugi stage-whispered excitedly, cocking his head and offering his ear to the much taller youth. Kaiba bent and brushed his lips against the shell of the other boy's ear. Yugi held his breath in anticipation, then gave a rather undignified shriek as the blue-eyed billionaire slipped his tongue into his ear. He made a pitiful attempt at jerking away until he dissolved into a fit of giggles. "That's not a secret!" Kaiba laughed at the look on his face and wrestled the smaller male into submission.

"No," he conceded once he had a hold on the other again, "but this is: I want to make love to you."

Yugi groaned and sagged against the brunet, clinging to his arms. "Mou, that's not a secret, either, Kai--Seto. I already knew that."

"You didn't let me finish," he admonished sternly. "I want to, very badly, but I won't."

The tri-color haired boy's head lolled on Kaiba's shoulder and he gazed wearily up at the young CEO. Somewhere in the far, way distant back of his mind a little voice told him "no, no, bad, bad," but it was hard to hear over the front-most part of his brain and its eager chanting of "yes, yes, good, good," and his last prevailing shred of common sense pointed out that he was in no condition to fight Kaiba off, even if he wanted to. Sighing, he went almost completely limp against the other boy and let his eyes slide shut, resigning himself to the inevitable. He had no one to blame but himself.

Kaiba laid him out on the bed and Yugi let his legs fall open a little, watching the billionaire with seeming apathy. He was drunk, and Kaiba-kun was a warm, hard body just _there_; what was the point in fighting it? When he realized the brunet was still standing over him, but not doing anything, Yugi squinted up at him.

"We both know you wanna do it, so we should just get it over with," he sighed, spreading his thighs a little more. "I give up. Just go ahead. I-I won't try to stop you."

"Yugi..."

"Here, I'll help." He reached down and began fumbling unsuccessfully with his fly. He swore these things weren't so hard to get open this morning... Two large hands covered his own much smaller ones, and his hips jerked at the contact. Yugi lifted his gaze to Kaiba's face, but the billionaire's eyes were closed, his brow furrowed slightly.

"No," he said firmly in a strained voice.

"Why not?" Yugi breathed.

Kaiba pulled Yugi's hands from himself and pressed them to his sides. Planting a palm in the center of the smaller boy's chest to hold him to the mattress, he seemed to recover and smirked down at him in a manner which Yugi, even drunk, found more than a little patronizing.

"Would you like the polite version, or the impolite version?"

Yugi was confused. "What's the impolite version?"

"I don't think you **_can_**--"

"Polite version, polite version!"

That irritating smirk widened, and Kaiba leaned over him to speak softly in his ear. "Because that would be taking advantage of you." Pressing his lips to the slighter youth's forehead, he pulled back and stood once more. "Good night, Yugi."

Yugi's eyes followed him as he walked from the room, too astonished and too drunk to say, much less do, anything about it.

"We're leaving at eight o'clock tomorrow morning," he called back over his shoulder. "Don't oversleep."

Yugi stared after him, even when the door had closed and the sound of his footsteps disappeared down the hallway. He finally smacked his paperback from the night stand and pulled the covers up over his head.

* * *

Yawning for the third time in as many minutes, Yugi struggled to keep up with the larger male's strides as he followed him out to the runway behind the Kaiba mansion. Pretty much everything after his and Kaiba's second game of Magic and Wizards was a blur, and he'd woken early this morning, dreading where and how he might find himself. Words could not describe his relief when he realized he was still fully clothed, alone, in his own bed. After a quick shower, he'd gathered his things and wandered downstairs. He'd managed to locate Kaiba in the kitchen, where the brunet handed him coffee, a bagel, and two aspirin, greeting him with a curt, "Let's go." 

Yugi sipped from his travel mug as he watched one of Kaiba's people load their luggage into the belly of the jet. His stomach growled, reminding him that a bagel was a poor substitute for a proper breakfast, but he didn't dare say anything about it to the billionaire. Besides, he could always get something to eat once they'd landed in Honolulu--

"Yugi!"

He craned his neck up at Kaiba, who sat in the cockpit of the Blue Eyes fighter jet, doing...whatever it was you did with a plane when you were getting ready to fly somewhere. The other boy gestured him over as the whine of the engines started to pick up. Realizing he was probably holding things up, Yugi clambered up the roll-away metal steps. Kaiba grabbed his hand to help pull him into the plane and he ducked his head, blushing, and scrambled into his seat.

¦What is wrong with me?!¦ Yugi berated himself as he jammed his seatbelt buckle viciously into place. ¦Get a grip! You're acting like you're 15.¦

The hatch slid closed and he pressed his forehead against the cool glass, shutting his eyes. He took a deep breath. Four hours to Hawaii, an overnight stay, four or five more hours to California, _another_ overnight stay, then four hours to New York and Anzu. Damn it. He'd forgotten to call. He could call once they reached Hawaii. He would survive this, and then he'd be in New York, while Kaiba had to go back to Japan, and he'd be safe.

When Yugi woke again, the jet was making its descent and the sun was setting behind them. He watched as the ground grew closer and closer, wondering at the fact that he could see the entire island from this vantage point. He had been under the impression that Oahu was...bigger.

The Blue Eyes jet finally touched down on what looked less like an airport than an airstrip, and soon enough, Yugi was climbing out of the plane after Kaiba, glad to be standing on solid ground once more. Stretching his cramped legs, his eyes followed the billionaire as he pulled their luggage from the jet and was approached by someone working at the airfield who'd apparently been sent out to meet them. The two had a brief conversation in English, Kaiba and the other man pointing at various intervals to the plane, before the man nodded and Kaiba ambled over to Yugi's side.

"Where are all the hotels?" Yugi asked as the brunet led him off the airstrip towards a new-model black Mustang convertible. He didn't see any of the towering white hotels or skyscrapers that were always pictured in postcards of Honolulu. And come to think of it, he didn't see any commercial airliners here. "(Um, is that car _yours_?)"

"There aren't any. At least none of the kind you'd find on Oahu. I brought us down on one of the smaller islands, Lana'i, to refuel and have someone look at engine 2. I thought I heard some noises coming from it I didn't like when I was landing." He took Yugi's bag from him and tossed it into the back, along with his own, then opened the door for the smaller male. "(Relax, it's a rental. I'm not commandeering someone else's car.)"

"Lana'i?" Yugi repeated as he buckled in and Kaiba went around to the driver's side--which was the _left_ side. He supposed he'd have to get used to it if he was going to be living in New York.

Kaiba peeled out of the parking lot and Yugi's hand shot out to brace himself against the dashboard. "It's about ten miles west of Maui and one-fourth its size. Not many tourists come here, even during the on-season."

"I thought you were taking me to Honolulu, you know, where my flight was going?"

"Change of plans," was all Kaiba said. Yugi was starting to think he would have been much better off just waiting around Domino Airport for a no-show on a flight to Hawaii. He turned and narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the other boy.

"...So what you're saying is, you've brought me to a deserted tropical island, on which we're stuck, alone together, for an indeterminable amount of time due to mysterious 'engine trouble.' " He pressed his lips into a thin line. "And I'm supposed to believe you didn't plan this whole thing?!"

Kaiba cocked his head to glance sidelong at him, his hair whipping into his face. "You're free to believe whatever you want, Yugi, but I must admit, I'd hate to waste such a fortuitous opportunity." He grinned, and Yugi abruptly faced forward, slouching in his seat and crossing his arms with a dark look.

The violet-eyed young man watched as the sun set over the ocean in a blaze of oranges and reds. Even with the facts that he was starving, his headache was coming back, and he'd essentially been kidnapped for the enactment of some "romantic getaway" fantasy of Kaiba's which he had **_no_** intention whatsoever of indulging, he had to admit it was beautiful. He should come back here some time with Anzu. Anzu!

"What time is it?" he asked suddenly. Kaiba pointed to the digital clock on the dash. ¦Five o'clock. That makes it.....ten at night. I hope she's still up.¦ Yugi reached into his jacket to grab his phone but paused, and pulled his hand back out again. He couldn't call while _Kaiba_ was right there. He'd have to wait until they got to a hotel or something where he could find some privacy.

He was saved from having to ask when that might be when the brunet slowed to pull up in front of what looked to Yugi more like a cottage on the beach than any hotel. His suspicions were confirmed when he followed the CEO inside and saw pictures of Mokuba with friends or with his brother sitting on a desk and the end table in the living room.

"Mokuba used to rent the place from a couple living on Maui and come here summers or long weekends with his friends," Kaiba explained, shrugging out of his coat. "I finally told him to just buy it, if he liked it that much."

Yugi nodded politely and fidgeted with the handle of his bag. you show me my room? I need to make a call."

The blue-eyed boy regarded him silently for a long moment before laying his trench over the back of the sofa. "Down the hall, the second door on your left. When you're done, I'll take you out to dinner," he added, crossing his arms casually and shifting his weight onto one leg. "Tell Anzu I said hello."

Flustered, the slighter of the pair hurried down the short hallway and locked the door to his room once he was inside. Had Kaiba no shame?? Never mind. He was sure the answer to that was "no."

Sitting on the edge of the bed, he noticed, to his relief, that someone had picked up the rest of his luggage when it arrived on the Honolulu flight and brought it here. He pulled out his phone and stared down at it for a long minute. He could do this--just call her and tell her he'd missed the flight and would be arriving in New York later. He had nothing to feel guilty about. After all, he hadn't done anything wrong.

Yugi punched the speed dial for her--their apartment before he could talk himself out of it, gnawing at his thumbnail as he waited for her to pick up. It rang six times and he was starting to worry when he heard an out-of-breath, ╔ Yes, hello? Sorry! I was in the shower.

Yugi tried to picture it, to picture her in only a bath towel, her skin moist and her hair dripping down her shoulders. Her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath after running for the phone--

"_Tell Anzu I said hello." Blink slowly. Smirk._

╔ ...Hello? ╗

He kicked himself mentally. "Ah-Anzu!"

╔ Yugi, is that you?? ╗ Her delight was obvious, and Yugi tried to get caught up in her enthusiasm. ╔ Don't tell me you're in California already? ╗

"Um, no, still in Hawaii. Actually...I just got here," he confessed.

╔ What? What happened? Are you alright? ╗

"Aa, I'm fine," he assured her. "I just missed my flight."

╔ You missed your flight? ╗ He could hear the smile in Anzu's voice, and it made him feel a little better. ╔ Oh no, Yugi, how did that happen? You didn't get caught in traffic, did you? I keep telling you, you can't leave the house only ten minutes before you're supposed to be somewhere-- ╗

"No, no, um...K-Kaiba-kun showed up to say good bye, since he wasn't able to make it to the going-away party Jounouchi-kun and Mai threw for me the other night. You know we haven't seen him in so long, and we got to talking and...before I knew it, I'd missed my flight." He grimaced. Jounouchi was right. He sucked at lying.

Anzu giggled. ╔ _Yu_-gi! Don't they announce that kind of thing, like, a million times? ╗

"Ah, I guess..." He picked at the bedspread with a fingernail nervously. ¦Sorry, I couldn't hear it over all the yelling and the kissing.¦

╔ So how is Kaiba-kun? ╗

Yugi was two seconds from screaming how would **_he_** know when he realized what she'd meant. "Um, good...he's good. He says 'hi.' Actually, that's kind of what I called to tell you. Kaiba-kun felt bad about making me miss my flight, so he offered to fly me himself." He chewed at his bottom lip, wondering what her reaction would be.

╔ ..._Kaiba_'s flying you? All the way out here? ╗ She sounded incredulous, but that was about it. Yugi let out the breath he hadn't been aware he was holding and scratched the back of his head.

"Yeah, I didn't believe it, either, heh, but I think he has business out there anyway," he lied through his teeth.

╔ Well that was a nice coincidence. So do you know yet when you're going to get to New York? ╗

Yugi winced. "Well...Kaiba-kun was saying something about one of the engines making a funny noise--" Anzu gasped. "--but he said it only started when we were landing in Hawaii, and it might be nothing, but then again, we might be stuck here a couple days."

╔ Oh my gosh, Yugi! Let Kaiba take as long as he needs. I don't want you guys coming out here, only to crash on the way! I know flying's supposed to be one of the safest ways to travel, but I still worry about you. ╗

"Oh Anzu, it's okay. Kaiba-kun's a good pilot. Er, well, I mean I assume so. I slept through most of it." Anzu laughed again, and Yugi couldn't help but smile. He heard her yawn and looked at his watch out of habit, even though he knew it was still on Domino time. "Anyway, I know it's late there, but I wanted to call and let you know what's going on. I know you have to be exhausted, with all that practicing they've got you doing for school."

╔ It's hard work, she agreed, but it's really worth it. ╗ She yawned again. ╔ Alright, well just give me a call before you get here so I know when to meet you at the airport, and maybe before that, you know, if you _want_ to, she teased. I miss you. ╗

"I miss you too, Anzu." He glanced down at his hand and realized he'd been twisting his wedding band anxiously. "I-I love you."

╔ I love you, too. Good night, Yugi. ╗

"Good night." He pushed the "end" button and sighed, placing the cell phone on the night stand. Holding his head in his hands, he tried to convince himself that he hadn't just gotten finished maliciously lying to his wife. He was only making an attempt to keep her from worrying unnecessarily. His stomach growled loudly and he recalled Kaiba's offer of dinner. His stomach growled again, and he jumped to his feet. "Alright, alright!"

* * *

"You're awfully quiet tonight," Kaiba remarked from over the rim of his glass. 

Yugi didn't look up from his salad and shrugged, stabbing another strawberry with his fork. "I'm just not feeling so well," he mumbled.

Kaiba reached across the table to lay a hand against his forehead, and Yugi's teeth clamped down on his fork. "You don't feel warm. It's probably just lingering affects from your hang over." The young CEO ran his fingers through Yugi's bangs, brushing them from his face before he pulled his hand back.

"Probably," he agreed. ¦Or maybe it's just the gnawing guilt that's eating away at my adulterous soul.¦

«« Don't be so melodramatic, aibou. Having dinner with Kaiba hardly constitutes as cheating. »»

"It's only seven, but if you're not feeling well, maybe we should just go back to the condo after dinner."

"No," he protested quickly, "the food's helping. I probably just need some fresh air. A walk down on the beach might be good." 'Going back to the condo' meant that much more time spent alone with Kaiba, and at least down on the beach, there should be enough people to discourage the billionaire from trying anything.

"Alright, if you say so," Kaiba acquiesced. He motioned for the waiter to refill Yugi's Cherry Coke. "How's your salad?"

"It's okay."

"What do you think of Hawaii so far?"

"It's okay."

"...After dinner, I'm going to throw you down on this table and fuck you right here in front of everyone. I hope you don't mind?"

"It's okay."

The brunet threw his napkin onto the table, irritated, and sat back, crossing his arms. "Yugi." Said boy's raised his head with a questioning look. "Are you just going to ignore me all night?" he demanded.

"I'm sorry," he murmured, "I'm just a little distracted. I know you must have gone through a lot of trouble to take the time off to fly me to New York, and I don't want you to think I'm ungrateful..."

"But?"

"But, well, I mean, you're acting like this is some sort of vacation, and I was hoping to get out of here as soon as possible." Yugi quickly shoved a piece of grilled chicken into his mouth, hoping he hadn't just succeeded in making Kaiba even more angry.

Kaiba took a bite of his seared ahi casually. "Of course. Because Anzu has only monopolized every aspect of your life since I last saw you at Jounouchi and Mai's dinner party, and you couldn't possibly be expected spend a little time with a friend whom you haven't talked to for months," he sneered.

Sighing, Yugi lowered his head guiltily and fingered the hem of the table cloth. "I'm sorry, Kaiba-kun, I hadn't thought of it that way," he admitted.

"Seto."

"Eh?" Yugi's head shot up. The billionaire was twisting his water glass slowly as he watched the other boy.

"I told you last night, call me Seto. Yugi." The violet-eyed male blushed, and the corner of Kaiba's mouth turned up.

Flustered, Yugi looked away out the window to the view of Manele Bay. "La-Last night? I'm sorry, I didn't remember..."

Kaiba followed his gaze to the ocean, then glanced back at him from the corner of his eye. "You don't remember anything from last night?" he asked curiously.

"_That's not a secret!"_

"_No--" Kaiba laughing at him. "But this is." Warm lips, soft words, whispered in his ear. "I want to make love to you."_

"_Ughn..."_

"No," Yugi lied, dropping his gaze quickly to what was left of his salad, "nothing." He peered up at the larger boy uncomfortably, forcing a sheepish laugh, and sweatdropped. "I guess that should teach me to drink more than I can handle, heh." He fought the urge to squirm as Kaiba continued to stare at him thoughtfully. Just when he was sure he'd go crazy from the scrutiny, the brunet reached into his jacket, pulling out four American twenty dollar bills and tossed them onto the table.

"You're right," he announced. "It's a good night for a walk on the beach." He stood and held a hand out to Yugi. "Shall we?"

* * *

Yugi walked along the shoreline with his shoes in his hand, Kaiba by his side. He stared down at their feet, watching how they would sink into the wet sand and leave footprints (Kaiba's were so much bigger than his), before the tide would run in and nearly erase the marks. They continued to wander aimlessly down the beach in silence, and Yugi realized they hadn't come across another person for a long time now. He looked back over his shoulder, but they were far from the restaurant, and all that lay behind them was a long, unbroken stretch of white sand that glittered in the moonlight. 

« Okay, so maybe taking a trip with Kaiba isn't so bad, » he finally admitted to his other self.

«« Aa »» Yami agreed, «« and it was very nice of him to offer to pay for everything. »»

« Yeah... » Yugi felt guilty accepting charity from Kaiba, but he knew not to do so would probably insult the brunet, and Kaiba could easily afford it. At Kaiba's suggestion, he was trying to look at it as an apology for causing him to miss his flight, but that was a little difficult when the other boy obviously hadn't wanted him to leave on it in the first place. Glancing at the CEO, he found him staring up at the sky.

«« I wonder if Kaiba has had any lovers since we fell out of contact with him... »»

« Gah, mou hitori no boku! » Yugi wailed, scandalized. « That's not our business! And anyway, I doubt he's spent the last several years pining over us. He's probably had dozens of-- »

«« You said 'us'? »»

« Oh. » Yugi flushed. « Yeah, Kaiba-kun was saying how he can't settle for less than both of us. (That was a pretty embarrassing conversation, if you ask me.) »

«« ...Oh. »»

« Mou hitori no boku, is--? » Having been absorbed in conversation with the spirit of the puzzle, Yugi was paying little to no attention to where he was going and suddenly tripped over an unexpected depression in the sand. He clenched his eyes and held out his arms, resigned to landing flat on his face when a strong hand reached out to grab him by the upper arm and hauled him upright. Yugi cracked open an eye warily.

"You should watch where you're walking," Kaiba informed him gravely. The smaller male swallowed and nodded quickly. He moved to pull himself from the other boy's grasp and met resistance.

"Seto-kun, let go of me, please." The billionaire released his hold on Yugi's arm, only to wrap his own around the youth's waist and pull him flush against his body. Yugi dropped his shoes. He folded his arms up between them and placed his palms flat on Kaiba's chest, feeling the heat of his skin through the thin fabric of his shirt. "Don't...don't do anything you're going to regret!" Yugi warned. Kaiba apparently recognized an empty threat when he heard one, because he leaned down to brush his lips over Yugi's cheekbone.

"Is it that you're afraid I'll do something I regret," the lanky brunet murmured speculatively, "or that I'll do something you enjoy?" His other arm slid around Yugi's shoulders as he pressed a kiss to the corner of his mouth. Yugi's hands fisted in Kaiba's shirt.

"Don't," he sighed sweetly, letting his head fall back, and Kaiba's lips trailed down his throat. He gasped when sharp teeth sank into the flesh at the juncture of neck and shoulder. Yugi bit his lip in an attempt to keep from making any more encouraging noises. Kaiba suckled at his throat where his pulse beat wildly beneath the skin--oh god!--and Yugi's knees buckled. He slid the heel of his hand up the taller boy's chest and neck to wedge it under Kaiba's chin, pushing up and away.

Undeterred, the brunet moved right back in to capture his mouth and Yugi tried to turn away but then Kaiba's hand was in his hair, cradling the back of his skull and holding him so gently, so inescapably in place and those warm lips were pressed to his, so perfectly... No! No, no, it was wrong! He was--He was--

Kaiba's tongue met the resistance of clenched teeth and his hand left Yugi's waist to slip beneath his shirt and up his ribs, where Kaiba stabbed his thumbnail into a nipple. Yugi winced and cried out in pain, even as his back arched and a jolt of horrible pleasure raced to his groin. The blue-eyed billionaire claimed his mouth voraciously, prodding his tongue to move against his own and Yugi released a breath that sounded closer to a sob, unable to do anything but respond as Kaiba tried to consume him completely. Yugi shuddered as he found himself pushing closer--hard, hard--even as he yelled at himself to stop, but all he could feel was Kaiba, all he could smell, all he could taste. He...he had _never_...

Yugi strained against the larger male, gasping desperately for air when he could, and he slid his hand down Kaiba's chest, only to have his wedding band catch on one of the brunet's shirt buttons. He jerked away from Kaiba, having realized what he was doing, and covered his mouth with a hand as he stared at the other young man in horror, his whole body shaking.

His chest heaving, Kaiba stared right back, a dark, lustful look to his eyes. He licked his lips uncertainly. "Yugi--"

Shaking his head, the amethyst-eyed boy turned on his heel and ran. Kaiba watched him go. After a long moment he hung his head, raking his fingers through his hair. He stooped to pick up their shoes and retraced the path to the restaurant.

When he reached the car, Yugi was sitting in the passenger seat, buckled in and as still as stone. Kaiba dropped the other youth's shoes into his lap and threw his own in back before climbing into the driver's seat.

The ride back to the condo was silent and tense. Yugi barely waited until the car had come to a complete stop to jump out and walk up the porch steps. Kaiba took his time, exiting the convertible slowly and pulling the house keys from his pocket as he made his way up the steps. Unlocking the door, he pushed it open for the other boy and Yugi hurried inside, disappearing down the hall. The brunet had entered after him and was locking up again when he heard Yugi's own door click shut and lock. Kaiba leaned forward and pressed his forehead to the front door.

* * *

Solitaire: On a side note, there is no significance to the fact that Kaiba only eats the tops of his asparagus and ignores the bottoms (get your minds out of the gutter!). I just thought I'd add that in as a subtle little Seto-Mokuba thing, because I know I'll only eat the tops of vegetables like asparagus and broccoli, and my sister will only eat the bottoms. And we both think each other are weird... 


	3. Never Say Never

Title: Unlovable Schemer  
Author: Solitaire (of Solitaire and Xpyne)  
Rating: R  
Archive: Anywhere, I don't care, as long as you keep my name attached. It'd be nice if you let me know, though.  
Disclaimer: Don't own it. Cause if I did, I sure wouldn't be working for $5 an hour as a waitress who can't even get a Saturday off (with three weeks notice!) to go to an anime convention...

A/N Solitaire: Argh, I really don't like the first scene, but I guess it's kind of necessary. Believe me, if I could've in good conscience just cut it out and written "Yugi decided..." (whatever it is he decides, but I don't want to spoil it), I would have. ::sighs:: Don't mind me, I'm in a funny mood today. I'm bummed about (most likely) not being able to go to a convention I've been planning around for the past _year_.

Thank you so much to those of you who reviewed. The other week I was complaining about ff. net's formatting changes and how I had to spend three hours fixing my document to get it to look how I wanted, and my mom (who prefers to live in ignorant bliss of just what it is exactly I post) asked, "Three hours?! Is it even worth it?" And I was able to tell her, "yes." ...Um, this is usually where I'd make a smiley face with up-carrots and an underscore, but none of those symbols will show up. ::salutes those in charge of running ff. net:: Constant progress, eh guys? And has anyone else noticed that there's only one space in between sentences now, too?

"na," or "ne" -- kind of an affirmative, can be teasing or used to make a point; sort of like "huh" in English

"mou" -- when used alone, a sound of distress, uncertainty, or admonishment, depending on the context I guess; Anzu has said it in the anime in response to stupid or embarrassing stuff Jounouchi's done

"daijoubu ka" -- are you alright?

"un" -- yes, you're right

"jii-chan" -- grandpa

evil spirits -- Ancient Egyptians believed illness and pain were caused by evil spirits, so, um, keep this in mind if you feel the need to make fun of Yami later on.

¦thoughts¦  
╔ phone conversations, tv ╗  
« Yugi "talking" to Yami »  
«« Yami "talking" to Yugi »»  
_stuff that's being remembered  
_(something said under one's breath, like when there's tiny print off to the side of a word bubble in manga; I liked it better when the font inside the parenthesis was smaller as well, but I can't get that format on ff. net)

* * *

**Unlovable Schemer  
**Chapter 3 - Never Say Never

It's the same thing again  
But it could become a problem  
If we don't deal with it now  
- Snow Patrol, "Whatever's Left"  
.

Yugi turned over onto his other side and readjusted the covers around him. He stared at the locked door in the dark. Even after a guilty, hurried bout of urgent love making with his other self (at least this time he'd had the presence of mind to strip first and sequester himself in the in-suite bathroom) and a warm shower, he found he couldn't sleep.

¦What's wrong with me?!¦ he wondered angrily. ¦I've only been married three weeks, to a beautiful girl I love, and I let Kaiba kiss me like that.¦ Yugi rolled onto his back to stare at the ceiling. He was encouraging Kaiba, that's what he was doing. The brunet would keep coming after him for as long as it took, while he thought he had a chance. Why couldn't he make himself tell him "no," and stop it right here?? Yugi turned onto his stomach and gazed at the strip of private beach through the window. He was afraid to answer his own question.

¦Because I don't want him to,¦ a tiny voice in the back of his mind whispered. He squeezed his eyes shut--no no _no_--but he couldn't deny how wrong, how good it felt to know that Kaiba Seto wanted **him**. Him, the one who had been the runt, the one picked on, the one every psycho they'd ever come across wanted to kill because that meant getting at mou hitori no Yugi, the pharaoh. Kaiba wanted darkness of Yugi, too, but because they were the same, not instead of him.

But Anzu wanted him, didn't she? He tried to convince himself, but...he had never actually come out and given her a choice between himself and the spirit of the sennen puzzle. He didn't know if he had the courage for it. It was one thing to suspect his wife preferred the spirit of an ancient king residing in his body to him, and another to have it confirmed. But what if Anzu did choose him over the Other Yugi? He couldn't bear the thought of Yami no Yugi being forced to watch him live out a full life with the love of a family of his own and unable to participate, relegated to whatever spare minutes Yugi could devote to him while he slept.

But even if Anzu wanted to be with both of them... He opened his eyes to stare out the window again. Wouldn't it be just as bad for his partner if he was forced into such a complicated relationship where so much would be expected of him, and he didn't love Anzu? Yugi had no desire to do that to him, any more than to exclude him completely. He had asked the pharaoh if he loved Anzu, and in typical Yami fashion, the answer he'd gotten was diplomatic at best.

So what was he supposed to do if his other self preferred Kaiba? Leave his wife to run off with a billionaire? Yugi knew the spirit of his puzzle and Kaiba had some past history between them, and not nearly as fully of animosity as they all originally thought--the friendship poem on the tablet at the Domino Museum had put an end to that (though, for having been the one who wrote it, Kaiba was the one least willing to believe it for months). Yugi wasn't stupid. The pharaoh and high priest must have been friends in the very least--best friends, Yugi liked to think, though that had always annoyed Kaiba when they first translated the poem--and from their personalities and some of his grandfather's books on the time period he'd read through, he knew a..._sexual_ relationship between the two wasn't impossible. His partner **had** to know for sure, but he never wanted to talk much about the memories he'd regained. Yugi assumed it was because he was trying to learn to move on.

He jammed his pillow over his head. He wouldn't even be having this problem if Kaiba had just told him all this **_before_** he got married! Was an actual relationship with the CEO of Kaiba Corporation even possible? Kaiba was always so angry and volatile and private; the complete opposite of Anzu. Kaiba would probably get tired of him soon enough, and then he'd be worse off than when he'd started, because there was no way he'd be able to go back to Anzu. Fuck, why was he even _considering_ this?? Sure, Kaiba was gorgeous and sexy and oh, so...overwhelming, and he had a way of looking at him that made him feel like he was the only person in the world, but...

He was married. That meant End of Story.

Pulling the pillow from his head, he sat up and slipped out from under the covers. He couldn't just lie here in the dark, driving himself crazy while all the what-ifs and maybes chased each other around in his head. Grabbing a t-shirt and pulling it on over his boxers, the tri-color haired youth slunk across the room to the window and pushed it up to climb outside onto the porch. He folded his arms behind his head and took a deep breath. He felt better already.

He spotted a hammock and sat down in it carefully, not wanting a repeat of that summer spent with the gang at Honda's older brother's beach house, when he couldn't stay in the damn thing to save his life. Of course, it probably hadn't helped that Jounouchi kept jumping on him every five minutes...

Yugi pulled his legs up to his chest and rested his chin on his knees as he looked out at the ocean. He knew it was the same ocean, but it hadn't ever looked like this from Japan. He could see why so many people from all over the world liked to come here on vacation, but you could never stay in a place like this for too long. You could lie on the beach under the sun or the moon with the scent of the ocean and lush tropical vegetation in the air, and the outside world ceased to exist. Yugi sighed, and turned his gaze from the shore.

His wasn't the only window that was open, apparently; from his position in the hammock, he could see straight into Kaiba's room. Yugi held his breath suddenly, wondering if Kaiba was awake as well and planning another assault, but released it when he spied the brunet sprawled on his back in bed, looking very asleep with one leg tangled in the sheet and an arm thrown out, his hand dangling over the edge of the mattress. Yugi smirked behind his hand.

His gaze swept over the lean, well-muscled form, his eyes lingering particularly on Kaiba's face, his bare chest, and the large amount of thigh that happened to be showing until he realized with dismay what he was doing, and averted his glance. Still, he couldn't help wondering with guilty curiosity what it might feel like to lie next to him and «« _so warm, soft like silk, can't get enough, never enough, hand on my back--if this is sleep, I don't want to ever, ever wake_ »»

Yugi exhaled forcefully, his eyes wide. What the hell was that?? His mind reached out tentatively to his other self, the only possible source, but found the link quiet, his partner seemingly asleep or at least dormant. Yugi's gaze darted back towards the window and he continued to stare at Kaiba for several moments longer to see if the thought-image returned, but it did not. Sighing, he finally tore his attention away and back to the ocean.

He hugged his knees. Suddenly, he felt very small and very confused. As he stared out over the water, he found himself wishing he was 16 again, and at home with his jii-chan. Yugi didn't know why he continued to torment himself like this. The answer was obvious. Kaiba couldn't ignore him for seven years, and then walk right back into the middle of his life and expect him to drop everything and be with him. Damnit, if Kaiba had really meant what he said, he wouldn't have waited until after he was married--he would have come after him long before now. There was no way Yugi was going to risk one of the best things that had ever happened to him for an affair with Kaiba.

¦I love Anzu--I can't to cheat on her. I **_won't_**.¦

* * *

"Yugi."

"Mmrnh."

"_Yugi_."

"Uhgn..." He finally registered a hand on his shoulder, shaking him gently. It took another several seconds for him to realize it was Kaiba, and that he was trying to wake him. Yugi cracked open an eye blearily. "What is it?" he slurred, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes and attempting to sit up, but was having a hard time of it. He must have fallen asleep in the hammock.

"Get dressed. I want to go check on the jet back at the airstrip and I'm not sure how long it will take. There's no food in the condo and you don't know the area, so you're coming with me."

"Okay," Yugi agreed carefully, and slid from the hammock precariously. Kaiba stood there and watched him, dressed completely in lightweight white cotton, looking like he'd just stepped out of a fashion magazine and as if he'd been awake for hours. "Just give me...five minutes." The brunet nodded curtly.

"I'll be in the car," was all he said before turning and walking around the corner of the porch and out of sight. Yugi sighed and dropped his head.

« Kaiba-kun is upset with me. »

«« Aa, »» his other self agreed. «« He'll get over it. »»

« I don't want to lose his friendship over something like this, » he murmured mournfully.

«« I don't think he finds you unforgivable just yet, aibou. »»

¦He might, soon enough.¦ Yugi crawled back in through the window and dressed quickly in a pair of khaki shorts that ended just above his knees and a t-shirt. Brushing his teeth hastily and running his fingers through his hair, he slipped on his sneakers and headed for the door. He stepped outside into the sun, squinting as the light reflected off the hood of the car parked there and into his eyes, and Kaiba gunned the motor. The tri-color haired youth hurried down the steps and jumped into the vehicle before Kaiba could speed off without him.

* * *

« Oh my GOD, how much longer is this going to take? »

Yugi peered out from under his arm toward the landing strip where Kaiba and the mechanic had been talking and looking at the left engine of the jet for the past twenty minutes. It was hot, he was hungry, and the leather of the seat was sticking to the backs of his legs.

«« I don't know. How long does it usually take to fix something on an airplane? »»

« Longer, if Kaiba decides no one on the island is good enough to touch his precious plane, » he snorted.

"Hey." Yugi jumped to discover the billionaire standing over him. "Don't put your feet up on the dash like that--you're going to get footprints on the windshield." Yugi obediently lowered his legs as the other boy walked around the car to climb into the driver's seat.

"So what's wrong with the plane?" Yugi asked once they were back out on the highway.

"A loose seal on one of the pistons in the engine. They have to order one from Hikam Air Force Base on Oahu, but we should be able to fly out of here by tomorrow or the next day."

«« _Some_one's getting fired when Kaiba gets back to Japan... »»

Yugi watched the scenery fly past them. "That's good," he sighed with relief. The ocean sparkled turquoise in the distance and he raised a hand, closing one eye and blotting a sailboat from vision with his fingertip. "Where are we going now?"

They rounded a curve in the road at what Yugi was sure was an unsafe speed, and a small wharf came into view down on the beach.

"Maui."

* * *

"Wow..." Yugi breathed as they stepped off of the boat. Of course he'd heard about the island, and seen pictures of it on television, but being there himself was something completely different. Kaiba smirked at his reaction.

"So is this closer to what you imagined Hawaii to be?"

The smaller male gazed far down the beach where dozens of people walked along the sand in bathing suits or lay out on towels to suntan, the towering hotels, and places to eat or shop lined up and down the street. _This_ was the off-season? "But how will we--"

"Mr. Kaiba?" A man approached them with a set of keys in one hand and a small stack of papers in the other. He also held something under his arm. "I'm from the rental agency--" Kaiba motioned the man nearer and took the papers from him, glancing them over.

"Is that the car?" he asked, nodding towards a red sports car parked at the curb by the end of the pier.

"Yes it is," the man confirmed as the brunet pulled out a pen and signed the rental paper. He handed them back, along with a credit card. The agent reached out to accept them, but Kaiba kept hold of the card for a moment longer.

"You're not going to let anything happen to this, are you?" he demanded. Yugi recognized the look on the billionaire's face as his 'I will eat you alive if you fuck up' expression.

"N-no, sir," the man stuttered nervously. Kaiba let go of the card. The man pulled a hand-held computer from under his arm and slid the card through with shaking hands. Kaiba signed the touch screen, authorizing the transaction, and was handed his credit card and the receipt.

"Good." He pulled the keys from the agent's hand. "Let's go, Yugi." Yugi gave him an apologetic bow and trotted after the blue-eyed boy.

"That wasn't very nice, Seto," he admonished, climbing into the car. Kaiba started the ignition.

"This rental agency was getting fraud complaints a while ago, and with my funds, I'm not about to take any chances. Unfortunately, they're the only agency on the island." He turned to look over his shoulder as he backed up, then pulled away from the curb. "And since when have I ever been nice?"

"You're nice. You just--ahh!" Yugi grimaced as the other youth stepped on the gas, then swerved to avoid a pedestrian, and he was thrown against the door. He fastened his seatbelt and rubbed his shoulder. "So what are we doing here? (Besides narrowly avoiding vehicular manslaughter.)"

"Breakfast and site-seeing," Kaiba answered. "You seemed disappointed by how small and secluded Lana'i is, so I thought you'd like the full experience. (Oh come on, I wasn't anywhere _close_ to hitting that old man.)"

Yugi was more than a little surprised by the offer, but wasn't about to pass it up. After all, what were the chances he'd ever be able to come back here? "You know your way around the area?" he asked curiously. Who'd have thought Kaiba ever pried himself away from his work to go have _fun_?

"No." Yugi sweatdropped. So much for that theory. "But I'm sure there's a map in the glove compartment. We'll manage. (The island's hardly 40 miles across. How lost can we get?)"

Yugi fingered the puzzle nervously.

«« Famous last words. »»

* * *

"It looks like a spider."

"It's a flower. Brassia, I think it's called."

Yugi cocked his head and took a bite of his Hawaiian bread. "It still looks like a giant spider."

They picked up where they had left off, walking down the path through the Tropical Gardens of Maui. "What about this one?" the brunet asked, pointing to a group of spotted orchids.

"They're nice, but they look like they've got the measles," Yugi decided. Kaiba grinned. "I liked the orange hibiscus the best," he continued. "Or the ones that were red in the middle and became white at the petals. How big did they say this garden was, again?"

"Four acres."

The shorter youth took another bite of his muffin. "The whole island could be a garden. You'd never see anything like this in Japan."

"Yugi--"

He turned to the other boy slowly. "Eh?"

Kaiba shoved his hands into his pockets casually, shaking his head. "So how's school going? You just finished your last semester, didn't you?"

"Yeah. Jounouchi-kun, too, which surprised a lot of people. It was actually kind of funny, though, how good a student he became once he started dating Mai. I mean, he was never dumb, and he had the motivation because he didn't want to end up like his dad, but he had trouble getting serious about his studies until she told him she wasn't going to have a long term relationship with anyone who flipped burgers or worked on cars for a living. I guess that really got him thinking about the future and what he was going to do with his life after college."

"And?"

"At first he was thinking about getting into business like Honda, because it seemed like a safe bet, but then Mai promised to help him pay for more school if he was serious about really doing something with himself." Yugi stared down at his bread with a little smile, turning it in his hand. "Jounouchi-kun said that was when he _really_ fell in love with her, knowing she thought enough of him to give him a chance not many other people would. He agreed, under the condition that he'd pay her back with interest, and has been working hard toward a degree in child psychology."

"Really?" Kaiba murmured with interest. "I think Mokuba might have mentioned something about that. If he succeeds, I just may have to take back all those times I called him a loser." He smirked at the look on Yugi's face. "What about you? Mokuba was saying you're going to be a doctor?" he asked, raising his eyebrows. Yugi blushed.

"Well, not quite. I'm studying veterinary science," he explained with embarrassment.

"Ah, I see. So together, you and Jounouchi are out to save the world, na?"

Yugi blushed again and ducked his head with a noise of exasperation. "Mou, Seto-kun, you don't have to make fun..."

Kaiba halted. "I'm not making fun. Those are some very admirable goals, and I wish both of you success." He wrapped an arm around the smaller male's shoulders and turned him to the left. "What do you think that one looks like?" he inquired.

Yugi tensed ever so slightly as the close proximity he had been tugged into, and his eyes darted to the brunet's profile from under his bangs before he turned them to the plant. His heart was giving a little nervous extra kick every couple seconds and he upbraided himself mentally. "A-a beehive?"

Nodding, Kaiba directed him down the path once again. "It's called beehive ginger. How is your grandfather?" Yugi didn't fail to notice that Kaiba kept his arm around him.

* * *

Mou hitori no Yugi frowned apprehensively. He'd learned a lot of new things in the seven years since he was released from the puzzle, and had to get used to a lot of new customs and traditions, but something seemed inherently wrong about sticking your face underwater and trying to breathe through a tube. "I don't know..."

"Come on, _Yugi_," Kaiba goaded, shoving the snorkel and goggles at him. "Everyone's doing it."

The spirit reluctantly took the items and stared down at them as if he'd never seen such things in his life, which, Kaiba realized, was probably true. "Look, you like swimming, right?" he asked the multi-color haired boy as he coaxed him into wading out from the shore. "This way you'll be able to swim along to surface and see what's under there without having to come up for air every half minute."

Yami followed the taller male deeper, a little anxious that Kaiba would keep going until the water was over his head, but they stopped once the level reached Kaiba's waist (and up to his own ribs). The pharaoh _did_ like swimming, and Kaiba knew it, though his aibou wasn't too crazy about it. Yami had taken over once in the middle of a water polo game when Jounouchi beaned his other self with the ball at one of Mokuba's birthday parties several years ago. After the initial confusion and near-drowning, the pharaoh had been delighted, and Yugi was only too happy to let him have control of the body for the rest of the afternoon. The only part he hadn't been too happy about was the chlorine. Yami no Bakura had told him the burning in his eyes was due to evil spirits in the water and he'd believed it (Honda and Jounouchi had almost pissed themselves, they were laughing so hard), until Kaiba explained about the modern necessity of bacteria-killing chemicals in stagnant water (with many pointed looks in Jounouchi and Honda's direction). All in all, the spirit of the puzzle much preferred the sea, but that didn't mean he wanted to trust his life to ten inches of plastic tubing. He tried to strike a bargain.

"But I can hold my breath for a very long time!"

Kaiba glanced him over with a sly smirk and winked at him. "I'm sure you can, but you're still using the snorkel." Mou hitori no Yugi took a deep, indignant breath, opening his mouth to respond, and the brunet shoved the mouthpiece in around his teeth. He pulled Yami's goggles down over his eyes and adjusted the seal over his nose. "Just put your face in the water and try to breathe normally with slow, deep breaths. The goggles will keep water from going up your nose, but if you thrash around too much, you're going to get water down the snorkel, alright?"

Nodding, the pharaoh lowered his head carefully, one hand on the plastic tube to make sure it stayed up straight, and the other on Kaiba's arm to steady himself. It took several tries, but he eventually got the hang of it and was able to stare down at his toes for a full minute. He wondered if he looked half as ridiculous as he felt. If the grin in Kaiba's face was any indication, the answer was yes. Soon enough, he was able to breathe through the snorkel floating face-down while Kaiba's hand hovered at his lower back.

"Ready to go deeper?"

Yami jerked back to give the billionaire an odd look and spit out his mouthpiece. "Excuse me?"

Kaiba pointed out to the reef. "A little farther out, the water gets deep enough that we'll be able to see fish." He leaned into the shorter young man's personal space, lifting a brow. "What did you **think** I meant?" The spirit opted to take this as a rhetorical question and abruptly swam off in the direction indicated. Kaiba watched him avidly for a long moment before smirking and following.

* * *

"They're having a luau in Lahaina tonight."

"Where's that?"

"A couple miles north of where the boat dropped us off. Would you like to go?"

Yugi pulled his towel from around his neck so he could tug on his t-shirt. "But..." He looked down at himself and turned around to face the other boy. The brunet was just sliding his jockeys back on and Yugi immediately faced front again, fighting a blush. "We'll-we'll be all wet and sandy."

Kaiba shrugged. "So will everyone else," he pointed out. "Besides, it's not for a couple hours yet; we should dry some before then."

«« Aibou, what's a luau? »»

« It's...kind of like a party, with food and entertainment. There's roast pork and fire-eaters and dancers... Very "vacationing American." »

«« Oh! That sounds enjoyable. I'd like to go. Could we? »»

"Well?" Kaiba asked, fastening his pants and turning around, his shirt in his hand. Yugi glanced over his shoulder from under his lashes. Finding the billionaire dressed (more or less), he turned around fully.

"Sure," he breathed with a small smile. "We'd love to."

Kaiba nodded. "It's settled, then." He pulled his shirt on, and Yugi's eyes unconsciously followed the movement of his hands as he pushed the bottom-most button through its hole. The material of the shirt clung to Kaiba's still moist torso like a second skin. His fingers slid to the next highest button, and then the next. They hovered at the fourth. "Any other activities you'd like to get in today before we head over there?"

Yugi's eyes snapped to his feet. "I, um, no, with all the walking and swimming we've done, I'm pretty tired out..." He trailed off, still unable to meet Kaiba's eyes. He dug the toes of one foot into the sand.

"Aa?" The CEO reached past him to open the passenger side door. "Perhaps tomorrow, then. If the engine on the Blue Eyes jet hasn't been fixed, of course." Yugi climbed into the car and Kaiba shut the door after him, leaning against it with an arm across the roof of the vehicle. He tilted his head to peer in through the window down at the smaller male. "Ah, but how will you decide who gets possession of the body of Yugi?" he mused.

"We compromise."

The brunet pulled back to get a better look at the other boy and found Darkness of Yugi present once more. ...No, both Yugis again, like at the restaurant in Domino. Like when they dueled, sometimes. Interesting.

"I see."

Yugi smiled at him. "We should be going, if we want to get back to the other side of the island before the luau starts."

* * *

Yugi ran a hand through his hair self-consciously and sighed, having the sneaking suspicion he had been tricked...again. "Seto-kun, I really wish we could have just gone back to the condo to shower and change. I think I'm underdressed."

"You look fine," Kaiba assured him with an arm around his shoulders as he scanned the crowd filing past them on the way to check in. "Wait here. I'll be right back."

"I--!" Yugi hung his head in defeat, then watched as Kaiba approached two girls who looked to be about their own age. He saw the brunet engage them in conversation, all charm and flattery, judging by the girls' blushing and obvious flirting. Yugi's eyes narrowed.

« What is he doing? Setting up a date for himself after the luau or something?! »

«« But I thought you wanted Kaiba to leave you alone? »»

« Gah, I do! But it's still rude! »

«« ...I don't think that's what he's doing. »»

Yugi stopped glaring at the middle of Kaiba's chest long enough to glance up, and found the billionaire saying something with a gesture in his direction before all three turned to look at him. Kaiba waved with what Yugi thought was an extremely smug smile, and the two girls giggled wildly.

« ........ »

«« Wave, aibou! »» Yami urged cheerfully. The multi-color haired young man raised his hand uncertainly with a timid smile, and the girls went crazy. Yugi sweatdropped. What in the world was that all about?

Kaiba turned back to the girls, pulling out his wallet, and handled them some money in exchange for what looked like small white pieces of paper--tickets?? Yugi wore a very bewildered expression as Kaiba walked back over to him, and the girls turned around in the direction they had come, glancing over their shoulders towards the two of them every few steps. The brunet stopped in front of him, a little too close.

"Ready to go inside?" he asked, dangling the luau tickets over Yugi's head. Yugi tilted his face up to see them, and before he realized what was going on, Kaiba had leaned down and kissed him. The smaller male's eyes widened, and he shoved Kaiba away before his hormones could get the better of his common sense.

"What are you--?!"

"Sorry," the blue-eyed boy murmured, sounding anything but. "Strictly part of a business deal, you understand. (I can't believe you fell for that.)" Kaiba turned and waved to the girls he'd bought their tickets from, who catcalled and waved back.

"Business deal! (You mean they watched the whole thing?!)"

The brunet directed Yugi to the check-in table. "You should be grateful. I was told this event sells out at least three weeks in advance." He handed the tickets to the woman by the gate. "It's supposed to be the best in Maui."

Any surly response or claims of personal violation died in Yugi's throat when they passed into the borders of the luau. Two women in colorful flower print dresses placed leis over his and Kaiba's necks, and others handed them brightly colored tropical drinks. Yugi stared, amazed, at how the waning sunlight and tiki torches lit the thatched roofs of small huts where men and women demonstrated local crafts, and people milled everywhere. It was like stepping into another world.

"This is...'" Yugi gazed at their surroundings, unable to find the words.

"Hunh," Kaiba agreed, taking a sip of his mai tai as his eyes followed a girl in a grass skirt. "I can't wait to see the entertainment."

Yugi glanced at Kaiba and saw the direction of the other boy's gaze. He turned his back on the brunet. « Look, mou hitori no boku--that woman's making jewelry from cowry shells. »

Noticing his silence, Kaiba looked down at the violet-eyed youth and followed his line of sight. "Let's walk around and look at some of the different booths," he suggested. He lifted his hand to the small of Yugi's back to lead him, but the shorter duelist sidestepped him, and started toward the booth on his own. Kaiba's hand, empty now, fisted after a moment, and he dropped his arm.

Yugi approached the table and reached out to run his fingers over a piece of jewelry.

«« ...Aibou, daijoubu ka? »»

« Un. I'm fine. I'm just...feeling kind of weird. I'm sorry, I think I'm just tired from everything we did today, plus jet lag. »

«« Aa, and you didn't sleep well last night, »» Yami agreed with concern. «« If you're not feeling up to this evening, perhaps you should tell Kaiba you'd rather go back to the condo. I'm sure he'd understand. »»

« No! I really do want to be here, and I'm having a fun time with Kaiba-kun, but... »

«« But he's not Anzu, »» his other self guessed. He took Yugi's silence as confirmation. «« Enjoying Kaiba's company doesn't make you a bad person, aibou, »» he said softly.

Yugi chewed the inside of his cheek. He picked up a bracelet of several strands of tiny shells, wound together. He felt a little guilty about having not thought of Anzu all day, but he couldn't help it, Kaiba had kept him so busy. Yugi was sure she'd appreciate a souvenir.

Kaiba chose this moment to walk up behind him and look over his shoulder. "Getting a little something for Anzu?" he inquired. Yugi thought his voice sounded just a little too carefully neutral, but forced himself to cheer up and nodded.

"I think she'll like it. She loves 'cute' things. How much for this bracelet?" he asked in English. He felt a little self-conscious, knowing Kaiba's English was so much better than his, but assured himself he was saying all the words correctly and refused to be intimidated. At least he could remember to use the "L" sounds, unlike his other self. They would both be getting a lot of practice soon, though, living in New York.

The woman looked up from the necklace she was making and smiled. "Eight dollars."

Doing the conversion to yen in his head and deciding the price sounded reasonable enough, Yugi bought the bracelet. The woman wrapped it in colored grass and put it in a small box for him, and the tri-color haired boy thanked her, slipping it into his pocket. Kaiba was unsettlingly quiet for the remainder of the time they walked around idly, stopping to watch native islanders ply various crafts along with many of the other guests. He only responded if Yugi asked a question directly, and even then, his responses were limited to monosyllables or grunts.

Yugi suspected Kaiba was upset at him again, though the brunet's impassive expression revealed nothing. The violet-eyed boy sighed unhappily. He supposed Kaiba's silence was due to the reminder of Anzu. It seemed he just couldn't win when it came to the CEO of Kaiba Corp. And they'd been having such a good time earlier today... He noticed a crowd beginning to form a little ways off.

«« What's happening now? »»

"They're unearthing the pig," Kaiba muttered in answer to Yugi's unspoken question as they watched more people gravitate toward the rapidly growing crowd. Indeed, it did seem their hosts were herding guests to dinner. Yugi and Kaiba followed, and were directed to their assigned seating. Fortunately, the girls from whom Kaiba bought their tickets must have made reservations early, as they were seated at a table towards the front with a good view of the stage.

"Have you ever been to one of these before, Seto-kun?" Yugi finally asked when he could no longer stand the awkward silence that hung over them. Dinner was being held off until everyone had been seated. The brunet crossed his legs at the ankle and stared down into his drink.

"No." He raised his eyes to gaze out over the guests assembled. "I usually _avoid_ events with so many people." He shrugged and took another sip of his drink. Yugi winced internally.

« How am I supposed to be friendly if he's not going to cooperate?? » he sighed with exasperation. « He has to meet me halfway! »

«« I don't think Kaiba knows the meaning of the word, »» Yami mused. «« Everything he does is either all or nothing. »»

« I'm _trying_. » The multi-color haired youth watched Kaiba, as Kaiba watched hostesses come around to the tables bearing kula green salad and sweet rolls. "It seems like we've talked about how everyone from the gang has been doing...except for you, of course," he admitted, thinking Kaiba might be easier to draw into conversation if allowed to talk about himself. Not that he'd ever shone a particular interest in doing so in the past.

The billionaire fished a pineapple slice from his near-empty glass with his thumb and forefinger. He sat back in his chair with an unreadable expression on his face and ate the small piece of fruit, licking his fingers without looking at Yugi. "I was never part of 'the gang'," he drawled as he lowered his hand to his knee, "was I?" His eyes caught Yugi's at last, and the smaller male saw there was no point in protesting.

"You could have been," he said instead. Kaiba scoffed. "The others would have accepted you," Yugi insisted. "They still would. We all like you, to varying degrees, whether you'd want us to or not," he added quietly. "We consider you a friend, for our part."

Kaiba turned away, suppressing a sneer with effort. "How touching. Someone, produce the tissues."

Sighing, Yugi averted his own face. "I don't even know why I bother sometimes," he muttered. "You're impossible. You don't _want_ any friends. You never cared enough to answer mou hitori no boku and my e-mails, and now you show up, **after** my wedding, which you refused to attend, and act as if my marrying Anzu was a personal insult--"

Kaiba turned to stare at him and cocked his head, leaning forward to grip the edge of the back of Yugi's chair and loom over him. Yugi instantly shrank in his seat, fearing he'd pushed the other boy too far. What had he been thinking? He knew how volatile Kaiba could be; he hadn't seen him in months, and even that had been more of an in-passing encounter, and here he was, berating the man for whatever acts he may or may not have been guilty of ages ago.

"_Yugi_--" The audience suddenly burst into applause as the musicians and dancers began to take the stage and Kaiba pulled back, seeming to remember where they were. As the applause died down and the first strains of music began, the young billionaire stood, the hand on Yugi's chair pulling it away from the table. He pointed across the outdoor dining patio towards the entrance. "You and me, outside, right now," he ordered.

Yugi swallowed thickly. That was what guys always said in American movies, right before they beat the shit out of the other person. He didn't think Kaiba would actually **_hit_** him, but... He didn't think he ever recalled the brunet being this mad, not at him, at least. Kaiba turned and walked from the patio, obviously expecting him to follow. Yugi had no choice but to do so.

Outside he found the other boy, the only bright spot against the horizon, now that the sun had set. Kaiba's back was turned his him, his shoulders tense and rigid, and Yugi approached with extreme reluctance. Every step he took closer to the brunet, he prayed the sand would open under his feet and swallow him whole. His other self had been stunned into silence, but hovered on the peripheral of his consciousness warily, prepared to take control of his host in his defense if necessary. Yugi halted when he was less than two feet from the CEO.

"Kaiba-kun?"

The other young man rounded on him, raising his arm, and Yugi flinched, but he only placed his palm flat against the trunk of the tree behind the smaller boy, boxing him in on that side.

"I want to talk to mou hitori no Yugi," he said slowly with great restraint. Yugi immediately felt his partner's presence wash over him, forcing him into dormancy within the puzzle as the spirit assumed control of the body. He couldn't have protested if he wanted to.

Yugi looked up at Kaiba solemnly through his bangs, only it wasn't Yugi anymore, and the brunet clenched his teeth, leaning in closer. Yami leaned away to compensate, until his back came into contact with the tree trunk. Forced into such close quarters, his own jaw twitched. "What is it you wish to speak to me about, Kaiba?" he asked calmly. The billionaire wasted no time on formalities.

"Why did you call me, Darkness of Yugi?" he seethed. "Why did you _beg_ me to come to the airport, _plead_ for me not to let Yugi go to New York while you turned on the water works?"

The spirit of the puzzle blinked, startled by such anger, so quickly. "I told you, aibou was going to make himself miserable by dutifully following what he thought was right, but what I still believe he doesn't truly want--"

"Don't feed me that bullshit, _pharaoh_," he hissed. "My people skills aren't so defunct that I can't recognize when my attentions are unwanted. I only came to the airport that day because you made it sound like--" Kaiba scowled, pushing away from the coconut palm, and turned from the other boy violently, his bangs whipping into his eyes with the movement. "I'll take what I can get, and I'll get what I want, but contrary to popular belief, I'm not some heartless bastard." He crossed his arms and stared out over the ocean.

Yami would have given almost anything at that moment, to know what he was thinking. Could any two people **be** more impossible than his aibou and Kaiba?? He realized now that the only way he could keep Kaiba from feeling manipulated was to show all his cards, so to speak. Mou hitori no Yugi dropped his gaze to his feet.

"Aibou claims to love Anzu, and I have no doubt that he does, but I'm afraid of him devoting himself to her for the rest of his life, blindly. I'm sure you aren't aware, but--" He faltered, hating himself for divulging his partner's secrets and betraying his trust. ¦Please forgive me, aibou.¦ "Yugi never dated Anzu until they were engaged."

Kaiba turned his face just the slightest bit in the smaller duelist's direction, to show he was listening. "Really?" he asked suspiciously.

The spirit heaved a sigh, nodding. "In fact...he never asked Anzu to marry him. She asked him, and he agreed, without even _telling_ me..." And that was what had stung, not the fact that a decision had been made without his counsel, but that it had been made without his knowledge.

"_What_?"

Gazing up at the brunet with weary eyes, he nodded again, guiltily. "He's only twenty-two, Kaiba," he informed the other boy sadly. "He'd had a handful of dates with boys and girls from his school that never went further than a few kisses and awkward fumbling, and then he went and married one of his best friends, because she asked him to. I didn't have the chance to live my life, due to circumstances beyond my control. I don't want to see aibou cheated out of living his own. If he truly loves Anzu, as a lover and not merely a friend, then I couldn't be happier for him, but how can he know, when his experience has been so limited?!" Yami ducked his head, ashamed of revealing such things to Kaiba, but it was so hard, having no one to share his own secrets and burdens with. He loved Yugi with all his heart, but he was just a boy, and sometimes, the pharaoh felt so very, very old.

Kaiba looked stunned by this information. "You mean to tell me Yugi never had a serious relationship with Anzu? Never had one before her--and then agreed to marry her when **she** asked??" Clenching a fist, he threw out his arm in a violent gesture of agitation. "That's absurd! How could he? I'll never forgive him..." he growled.

"There's something else I should probably tell you," mou hitori no Yugi added hesitantly. "I told you that an ancestor of yours and I were lovers, but what I didn't tell you is that I believe you _are_ him." He squeezed his eyes shut with a grimace, unwilling to see the billionaire's reaction. Kaiba would think that he was crazy. He would get mad, and accuse him of trying to use the sennen rod in his study to draw this other person out. He would demand to know--

"Is this your way of telling me you might be in love with me?" Kaiba asked bluntly.

Yami winced. "In a manner of speaking..." he said reluctantly. He cracked open an eye to peer up at the lanky brunet. Said brunet was regarding him contemplatively.

"But I thought you and Yugi were fucking like rabbits?" Darkness of Yugi gaped, then flushed.

"How-how did you know about that?!" How long had Kaiba known?? Did he have security cameras in all the rooms of his mansion and the condo? Had Yugi done something telling in his sleep? Or--

"I didn't. But I do now." Kaiba's mouth went crooked in what could almost be considered a smile. Yami swore colorfully. He couldn't believe he'd fallen for that.

"Well, I don't know that I'd use that terminology," the spirit snapped, flustered, "but yes. Do you have a problem with that, Kaiba?"

"Not at all." Kaiba reached out to trail his fingers over Yugi's jaw. "I told your partner the other day that I want both Yugis." His hand cupped the smaller male's chin and tilted his face upward. Yami's eyelids fluttered closed half way as Kaiba leaned in, and he could feel the warm, quick little breaths against his collarbone at the open neck of his button-down.

Darkness of Yugi flattened himself against the tree at his back, his fingers flexing on the bark down by either side of his thighs in an attempt to keep them to himself. "Kaiba..."

"What's the matter, pharaoh?" the brunet jeered. "Are you really just talk after all?" Yami's eyes rolled in his head as he tried to avoid that piercing gaze. Narrowing his eyes, Kaiba released his chin and began to pull away with a derisive snort. "You and your fucking gam--"

The spirit fisted a hand in the fabric of his shirt, jerking the much taller boy down to his own level and catching his lips in a swift kiss. After all too brief a moment, he opened his hand, releasing Kaiba, and pushed him back slightly, but Kaiba used the momentum to his advantage and rocked forward once more, and then his mouth was on his, hot and hard and fierce. Mou hitori no Yugi inhaled sharply and his hands flew to the larger youth's upper arms, clutching tightly when Kaiba plunged his tongue into his mouth, and the back of his head struck the palm--ignore it--with a dull thud as Kaiba's hands inched up under the hem of his t-shirt to skirt the soft skin of his belly.

Groaning, the pharaoh slid his fingers into the other boy's hair and coaxed the violate tongue deeper, deeper, _ahh yes_, and Kaiba's large hands splayed over the bare flesh of his back, holding him up because suddenly he could no longer feel his legs and then Kaiba's hips, pressing him to the tree, a hard bulge pressing into his stomach. The other Yugi abruptly came to his senses and pushed the young billionaire away, gently but firmly.

"Stop," he gasped. Kaiba moved to kiss him again, and Yami no Yugi clapped a hand over the youth's mouth. "We can't." The brunet wrapped his fingers around the smaller male's wrist and pulled it from his mouth to pin it above the boy's head. He pressed a thigh between Yugi's legs, and the spirit of the puzzle bit his lip, his lashes fluttering as his eyes rolled back in his head with a stifled groan.

"You little _tease_," Kaiba growled into his ear accusingly, increasing the pressure of his thigh. The multi-color haired boy squeezed his eyes shut, panting nervously, and his brow furrowed with a combination of pleasure and frustration.

"Kaiba, please, don't." He gritted his teeth and willed down his body's reaction to the assault. "I--Aibou would never trust me again."

Kaiba released his breath with an explosive little "K'!" of anger, and for a moment Yami feared he wouldn't listen, just to spite him. A few seconds later, however, the blue-eyed CEO let go of his wrist and pulled back his knee, freeing him. The dark Yugi gave a sigh of relief and put a hand to his chest, trying to regulate the pounding of his heart and regain his breath. Once he felt he had control of himself, he risked a glance up at the young man standing over him. Kaiba glared down at him with a very put-out, disheveled look.

Reaching up, mou hitori no Yugi raked the fine, chestnut-colored strands into some semblance of order, then pressed his hand to Kaiba's cheek. "Don't give up on Aibou yet."

Kaiba gripped the hand and held his gaze as he turned his face to kiss Yugi's palm. "_Never_," he returned fiercely.

* * *

. 

Kaiba calling Yami "Yugi" -- Kaiba is well aware of who is whom. In the canon, he was the first person to realize there were two Yugis, the one he went to school with and the one he played against in Duel Monsters. I always found it kind of funny that in the anime he called them both "Yugi," but whenever Kaiba said it that _particular_ way with that _look_ on his face, man, there was no mistaking who he was talking to. It sort of gave me the feeling that Kaiba was saying, "I alone know what you are, and could possibly understand."

Yugi remembering to use the "L" sound -- The Japanese language doesn't recognize "L" and "r" as two distinct sounds. When writing (or saying) a word with an "L" sound (which they have no character for anyway) they will often replace it with "r," which to them is just as good. Hence the way Yami and Kaiba can _say_ "Malik" in the sub, yet it's still spelled "Ma ri ku" in the manga. (On a side note, this can go the other way if someone's trying to overcompensate. At work, I once had a Japanese business man ask me for a refill on his "legular Coke.") I'm not going to get into a whole discussion on linguistics and allophones, but suffice to say, this is the reason for the whole Malik/Marik confusion--a bad translation on the part of 4Kids, because "Malik" is a genuinely Egyptian name.  
  
Hope you liked this chapter. I actually did research online to find out all about luaus. In case you were curious, the luau Kaiba and Yugi went to is real and supposedly the best in all of Hawaii. Official ticket price is about $85 each, and indeed sells out about three weeks ahead of time, so you can only imagine how much Xpyne and I charged Kaiba, as scalpers. ::winks::


	4. Third Time's a Charm

  

Title: Unlovable Schemer   
Author: Solitaire (of Solitaire and Xpyne)   
Rating: R . NC-17 version is posted at:

http:(doublebackslash)www(dot)mediaminer(dot)org(backslash)fanfic(backslash)view(underscore)ch(dot)php(backslash)81032(backslash)266408(backslash) 

I apologize for how confusing that must be, but it was the only way I could write it so the link was readable.  All you have to do is copy and paste in the address bar, then replace the words in parenthesis with the appropriate symbols.  If anyone has trouble finding it, feel free to e-mail me at bamf(doubleunderscore)(at)hotmail(dot)com.

Archive: Anywhere, I don't care, as long as you keep my name attached. It'd be nice if you let me know, though.   
Disclaimer: Don't own it, so fear not for your sweet young body, Yugi. And no, I'm not making any money from this. I do it purely for kicks.

A/N Solitaire: Thank you so much to those who reviewed. I'll admit there was a period this summer when I wasn't sure I liked this fic all that much, but the positive feedback I've gotten (and a weekend in San Francisco around other yaoi authoresses) has helped put me back on track.

**Renee the Rabid Squirrel** - Why yes, I have been looking back over my FAKE mangas. I thought that "look at this" trick was so retarded and cute and the same time, I just had to have Yugi fall for it. Ryo and Dee are such hotties, but Xpyne has warped me with HPness, and now I can't look at those things without thinking it's Sirius and Lupin, lol.

**Yume no Zencho** - I'm usually pretty lazy when it comes to describing activities, but I wanted to really show some of what Yugi, Yami and Kaiba did that day, rather than just saying, "They spent all day sightseeing, fun!" And Kaiba, forking hot? ::grins:: I just try to do him justice. In the English version of the anime, Kaiba's cute and all, but in the Japanese subs, he has the makings of a sex god. Seriously. ::laughs::

**gothatheartholo** - Yeah, I can understand your confusion about the fact that Yugi never dated Anzu before they decided to get married. However, when I was watching "Younger Man, Older Woman" (one of my favorite Japanese soaps), there was this one woman who asked this guy to marry her, but she'd only ever seen him at the gym. I don't think they'd ever done more than exchange greetings! Now he rejected her because he was actually in love with her mom, but my point is, when the woman would lament about her rejection to friends or family, no one seemed the least bit disturbed that the guy she was pining over was a virtual stranger. But you're right, there's definitely something weird going on with Yugi and Anzu's relationship... Oh, and those girls were me and Xpyne, heh. Yes, I was my own plot device.

**Alpha Slave** - Yeah, what can I say? I'm a sucker for pretty boys in love, and am not above giving shy ukes a kick in the right direction. And don't worry, there's a lot more than kissing going on in this chapter. ::smirk::

¦ thoughts ¦   
« Yugi "talking" to Yami »   
«« Yami "talking" to Yugi »»   
phone conversations, tv, etc.   
_things being remembered   
_(something said under one's breath, like when there's tiny print off to the side of a word bubble in manga; I liked it better when the font inside the parenthesis was smaller as well, but I can't get that format on ff. net)

gomen -- sorry   
kisama -- bastard   
doushita -- what's wrong?   
sou ka -- Is that so? or Really?

**_This is important:_** For those of you who don't know (which will probably be those of you who have never seen the bad Hong Kong bootleg subs), the name Kaiba means "seahorse." And I found this especially adorable when I heard that in Japanese culture, a seahorse is thought of as a "dragon's lost child." ::hugs her Kaiba plushie tightly:: Just thought I'd mention this, so when Kaiba brings it up in this chapter, I won't have everyone thinking "WTF??" lol

This is my very first lemon (in the unedited version). I worked on it for months, partly because I'm _that slow_, and partly because I wanted to make it different from all those lemons that always follow the same, tired script. So, erm, I hope it's okay.

* * *

**Unlovable Schemer   
**Chapter Four - Third Time's a Charm 

I am heaven sent. Don't you dare forget.   
I am all you ever wanted.   
What all the other boys all promised.   
Sorry I told. I just needed you to know.   
- Brand New, "Okay I Believe You, But My Tommy Gun Don't"

* * *

..

"I've never seen anything like that in my life!"

Kaiba grinned a little at his enthusiasm. "Aa, it was quite something to see. Somehow, Jounouchi and Honda playing with fire in your backyard never seemed so..."

"Choreographed?"

"I was going to say civilized, but let's go with that."

Yugi laughed and looked out over the ocean to see if he could spot any lights in the direction of Lana'i. They had returned the car to the rental agency before the luau, and the walk to the wharf where a boat could take them back to Lana'i was a mile or two, but it was a beautiful night (as Yugi was sure all nights were, in a place like Hawaii) and Kaiba didn't seem to mind any more than he did.

He wasn't sure what words had been exchanged between Kaiba and his other self, but when his partner finally allowed him repossession of the body, they were once again seated at their table and Kaiba was behaving as if his earlier sullenness had never occurred. Yugi might have thought the brunet had forgotten the entire incident, if not for the sidelong glances in his direction whenever Kaiba thought he wasn't looking. He was just relieved that things had been resolved peacefully, and had feared that questioning the other boy on his sudden change in demeanor might set him off again. Anzu with PMS wasn't half as scary as Kaiba could be sometimes.

"There it is!" Yugi exclaimed, pointing as the dock came into view, then quickly dropped his arm and blushed. "Er, gomen." He was starting to think that all the day's excitement was getting to him. He couldn't ever remembering having a day so jammed full of activity since all those Duel Monster tournaments when he was a teenager. He knew he should have been more than ready to crash, but he was feeling way too wired. Maybe he should have stopped his other self at three desserts.

"Seto-kun, I know what I said, about this not being a vacation," he began, glancing over at the billionaire shyly, "but I just wanted to thank you for today." He smiled. "Mou hitori no boku and I had a lot of fun."

"Yugi."

Kaiba grabbed his wrist and he turned, surprised. The brunet tugged him a step closer.

"There are still lots of things to see and do here on Maui. If you like, we could stay into tomorrow," he suggested, watching Yugi's face. The smaller male balked nervously.

"Won't the plane be fixed by then?"

"There's nothing saying we can't stay in Hawaii an extra day, is there?" Kaiba looked down at him questioningly. Yugi pulled slightly at his wrist as his gaze darted anxiously towards the wharf.

"I don't think that's such a good idea," he said quietly. He peered up at Kaiba through his bangs. "We should get to San Francisco soon, in case something happens to the plane there, too, na?"

The brunet continued to stare at him for a few moments longer, whether impressed or annoyed, Yugi didn't know, until he finally released him. Yugi snatched his arm back into himself and turned away quickly, his cheeks warm.

When they reached the wharf, he wrapped his arms around himself as Kaiba approached an employee who had just exited the boating service office.

"Sorry," she called out before the CEO could even open his mouth, "but you just missed the last boat. We've closed up for the night." She pulled the door shut behind her and took out a set of keys.

Kaiba frowned. "What do you mean you're closed?" Yugi glanced anxiously from Kaiba to the girl who was locking up.

"Just what I said," she replied. "The last boat left for Lana'i at nine-fifteen."

"Isn't there someone here who can take us?" the brunet insisted. "The trip's only twenty or thirty minutes. I'll pay double."

The girl shook her head, hitching her purse up over her shoulder. "I'm sorry, sir, but all the other employees have already gone home. I'm only still here because there was some paperwork that needed to get done--"

"Triple."

"Sir, I really--"

Kaiba took a step forward and Yugi's hand darted out to lay across his arm. "Seto-kun--" The brunet brushed him off.

"My _friend_ is not interested in staying on the island." Yugi cringed. "We want to get back to Lana'i tonight." At the girl's continued blank, unconcerned expression, he scowled. "Look, is it a matter of cost?" The lanky youth pulled out his wallet. "I can buy every last seat, if that's what you want."

"**Kaiba**." The brunet turned to find the Other Yugi glaring at him, his hand gripping tightly onto his forearm. "There's no need for a scene," he murmured in soft, yet resolute Japanese. "If she says the boats are no longer running, then we'll just have to wait until tomorrow morning."

"_All_ the seats?"

Both boys' attentions snapped to the American girl. She chewed one manicured nail tip contemplatively, then pulled the keys to the office from her purse.

"I'll see who I can get on the radio."

* * *

..

Kaiba unlocked the door to the condo and pushed it open. "I don't understand what you're so angry about. I got us back here, didn't I?"

Yugi jerked off his sneakers and socks to shake the sand out of them onto the porch. "I'd have rather just stayed in a hotel until tomorrow morning, than have you almost start a fight with that girl back at the dock," he informed the brunet with annoyance, striding into the darkened house. Kaiba reached inside to switch on a lamp, then toed off his own shoes and followed. The door clicked shut behind him.

"You wanted to get to Lana'i, and we're in Lana'i. What does it matter how we got here?" he demanded, irritated. Yugi flopped onto the couch and crossed his arms.

"I'm saying that the whole thing was unnecessary!" he exclaimed. "Why do you _do_ things like that?!"

"I wanted something. She didn't want to comply. So I provided incentive," Kaiba responded, as if this explained everything. "You saw for yourself how she reacted after I offered to buy every seat on the damn boat. Money gets things done." Yugi stared at him incredulously.

"So that's your answer to everything? If someone doesn't do what you want, you strong-arm them? You bully them or throw money at them??"

Kaiba raised an eyebrow impassively. "It's highly effective. Everyone has a price."

Clenching his jaw, Yugi stared down at his lap. "Does that include me?" he wanted to know. The brunet fell silent for a moment as he tossed the house keys onto a nearby end table. He seemed to be debating whether to turn on more lights, but decided against it.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

The smaller duelist squeezed his eyes shut and fisted a hand against his forehead. "Oh come on, I'm not stupid! You taking me to Hawaii, all the stuff we did today, all the money you've been just throwing around, money Anzu and I could never afford... It's all your way of trying to show me how much better my life would be, if I would just leave Anzu to be with you!"

Yugi wasn't sure what he was expecting. Stunned silence, maybe, or even a confession. He didn't expect Kaiba to be hurt, but that was how he sounded, beneath the fury.

"Is that how little you think of me? That I would try to _buy_ your affection?!" Yugi flinched at the sound of glass shattering against the hardwood floor. Probably the vase that had been sitting on the table by the door. "Kisama! I won't forgive you!"

Yugi glared pointedly out the window, ignoring the other young man's ranting and raving and blinking against the itching behind his eyes. His throat tightened and he swallowed with difficulty. He had known from the start that agreeing to this trip was a bad idea.

Kaiba appeared in front of him before he noticed he'd moved and grabbed his shoulders, shaking him to get him to look at him. "You think you're so damn irreproachable? You're fucking twenty-two years old, and you married the first girl who came along!"

"What do you care? It's my life and I can do what I want with it," Yugi muttered as he turned his face aside, sadly. "It's not like you ever made an offer, Kaiba."

"Well I'm making one right now! Divorce Anzu. Get the marriage annulled, or just leave her--"

Yugi squeezed his eyes shut, unable to stand that wild, desperate look in Kaiba's eyes. "I can't do--"

"Yes, you can!" Kaiba growled furiously, dropping to his knees and bringing himself closer to the other boy's level. He slid a hand behind Yugi's neck and pulled him into an angry kiss, fully prepared to fight him for it but Yugi grabbed his face and jerked him forward unexpectedly. Their mouths meshed sloppily and Kaiba's tongue slipped easily inside, seeking out Yugi's but it was already there, soft and slick and eager, and Yugi was pressing himself closer, heedless of the sennen puzzle wedged between them.

The brunet groaned and tightened his hand in the smaller male's hair, crushing that delicate mouth beneath his. Yugi tugged frantically at Kaiba's shirt, his fingers fumbling blindly at too many buttons that were too small as he fought to keep up with the force of the larger youth's passion, he was drowning, and it was like nothing he'd ever experienced with Anzu, he'd thought only his other self could make him feel this way... He hooked a leg around Kaiba's hip--Kaiba ground hard against him--and Yugi's head fell back with a ragged gasp. He arched up into the blue-eyed billionaire, his heel dug into the back of Kaiba's thigh as he tried to get more friction, pressing himself into the solid body above him without thought.

"Kaiba-kunnn..."

Lowering his mouth to the arch of Yugi's neck, Kaiba ran his tongue over the gentle curve and slid his hands up under the back of the little blue t-shirt. Yugi tasted like the sea, he tasted like sweat and the billionaire sucked at the pliant flesh, marking it as _his_. Yugi moaned softly and the sound made Kaiba ache. He pressed closer, then grimaced when one of the corners of the Puzzle jabbed into his ribs.

"Take it off," he ordered huskily.

Yugi could hardly form a coherent thought with the feel of Kaiba's long fingers dancing over his spine, and that hot, ravenous mouth at his neck; he shuddered at the timbre of the brunet's voice.

"Nngh...No," he groaned stubbornly, even as his heel forced the larger boy's hips more firmly against him. "I'm not going to chea-cheat on A-ahh-nzu." Kaiba bit at his collarbone through the fabric of his shirt in retaliation and slipped one of his hands around to tug sharply at Yugi's nipple. Yugi arched up off the couch with a surprised yelp and one of the buttons on Kaiba's shirt snapped from its thread.

"You fucking little cock-tease! Take it off, take it all off, or so help me..."

Yugi's breath quickened, and he pulled back enough to look at Kaiba's face. "Or what? You'll _force_ yourself on me?" he demanded breathlessly, not believing for a second that he'd really do it, no matter how angry he got. Kaiba's eyes were a deep, bright blue, the color of the sky just after sunset on clear nights, right before the stars come out. Yugi was sure he hadn't seen many things more beautiful, even with Kaiba glaring hatefully at him like that.

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" he shot back. "It'd certainly release **you** from all responsibility, na?" Kaiba narrowed his eyes. "Well you can forget it. I'm not the bad guy here, Yugi, so don't make me out to be one." He tipped his head and leaned in to skim his mouth over Yugi's jaw to the sensitive spot behind the smaller male's ear, and then his tongue flicked out to touch the skin there. Yugi panted and squeezed his eyes shut.

"You wouldn't be here if you didn't want this," Kaiba whispered as he slid a hand up the inside of Yugi's thigh. The multi-color haired youth placed his hand over Kaiba's apprehensively. "Are you going to stop me, Yugi?" he asked with amusement, his voice low and seductive. His fingers flexed on that soft limb, testing his limits. He caught Yugi's mouth again, and it didn't take much to coax the boy's tongue to move against his own. Yugi returned the kiss fervently and guided the brunet's hand between his legs.

"I hate you," Yugi moaned against Kaiba's lips, his whole body shuddering as the other young man's hand kneaded him mercilessly through the material of his cargo shorts. "You jerk, I waited for you for years, and then you decide to show up after I'm married to--"

"Don't you dare say her name when you're with me," Kaiba hissed angrily. He bit down on Yugi's bottom lip just hard enough to ensure he had his attention. "I'll make sure you don't even _think_ her name," he promised, grinding into him again, and the slighter boy cried out softly. Another button popped off Kaiba's shirt. The billionaire thrust his tongue into that inviting little mouth once more, unrelenting; he wanted Yugi to give him everything he had, and then more.

Yugi's breath was coming in labored little pants when he could manage it and he slid his hands down Kaiba's bare chest, not to push him away, but to press closer, _yes yes_... He felt the taut muscles of Kaiba's stomach, so nice, the brunet's heart pounding as wildly as his own, and Yugi slipped his fingers under each side of the open cotton shirt to touch the other youth's ribs, to brazenly sweep his fingertips over his nipples as he kissed the hollow of Kaiba's throat.

The young CEO groaned quietly and nudged Yugi's face upwards, pressing his lips to the corner of his jaw, a hand caressing the boy's bare thigh while the other splayed over his back to hold him in place. He ran his tongue along the smaller duelist's skin, his open mouth scorching as it sought out what spots would make him moan, ah, right there...

Scraping his fingernails lightly over the sensitive skin, Yugi felt it harden under his touch, and the action elicited a shaky inhalation from the blue-eyed boy. Without a word, Kaiba shoved him away enough to pull his puzzle from around his neck and yank off his t-shirt, dropping both to the floor. Then Yugi was pushed back to lie on the couch and he climbed atop him, straddling his thighs.

Yugi swallowed thickly, breathing in rapid little gasps, and pulled the billionaire down to kiss him. His tongue slid along Kaiba's hungrily, and he pushed the larger youth's shirt from his shoulders to run his hands avidly across Kaiba's overheated flesh. Yugi could feel the muscles bunch and pull just beneath the surface, the swift, implicit strength they held, and couldn't help but wonder if Kaiba would physically overpower him to get what he wanted, were he to try to resist him. The idea made Yugi's pulse quicken inexplicably.

Kaiba tore his mouth from Yugi's to sit back on his heels for a moment--get rid of the shirt--and then crushed the slighter framed boy beneath him in another kiss, desperate, brutal in his desire. Yugi groaned as their upper bodies touched, bare skin, hot and slick with sweat--Kaiba's erection pressed into his hip and Yugi shifted so it brushed against his own, gasping at the jolt of pure lust that ripped through him at the contact.

With a growl, the brunet rocked against him and Yugi's spine arched, Yugi's hands tugged mindlessly at his hips, pulling Kaiba against him more firmly, rubbing against him desperately, _oh please, please_...   
..

When Yugi went limp beneath the taller boy nearly an hour later, it was with a long, shuddery sigh. His arm loosened around Kaiba's shoulders as his eyes slid closed. After a moment the brunet pulled out, only to collapse atop him with an exhausted groan. Yugi grunted as the larger male's full weight came down on top of him and wormed his other arm out from between them to wrap it around Kaiba's back. Kaiba's arm was still trapped under Yugi's back, where he'd gripped the top of his shoulder hard enough to leave bruises, but he made no move to extract it, and shifted wordlessly to rest his head against the boy's opposite shoulder.

The only sounds were those of their labored breathing, and the ticking of a clock somewhere in the room. Over Kaiba's head, Yugi stared down at his hand that lay across the billionaire's back, smeared with his own fluids. His hand fisted. He turned his eyes unseeingly to the ceiling.

Once Kaiba's breathing had evened out and he was sure he was asleep, Yugi buried his face in the sweat-dampened mahogany locks, kissing the top of Kaiba's head, and cried.

* * *

..

A breeze from the half-open window ruffled Yugi's hair and caused his long bangs to flutter against his cheek. His eyelids twitched once; twice. Yugi's nose wrinkled and his eyes opened slowly. He lay very still for a long moment, turned toward the window and its view of the ocean. The body pressed to his back shifted, and Yugi's eyes slipped shut again.

His fingers touched the pillow beneath his head, then the mattress. Kaiba's bed. Had he carried them in here?

The billionaire's hand slid up his arm to grip Yugi's shoulder lightly and pull him back against his chest. The tri-color haired youth twisted around in Kaiba's arms, as the other boy let his hand wander down Yugi's thigh over cotton sheets. Darkness of Yugi smiled and grasped Kaiba's chin between first finger and thumb to turn his face aside. He pressed a kiss to the larger male's jaw.

Pulling the slender fingers from his chin, Kaiba brought them to his mouth and kissed the knuckles. He rolled atop the other young man with a smirk of his own, only to have sleepy violet eyes blink up at him, their owner caught unawares.

"Good morning," Kaiba murmured, his gaze flicking thoughtfully over the boy under him. Yugi, becoming aware of their position, blushed profusely.

"(Um, hi.)"

The brunet's smirk returned, and he leaned in to press his nose against Yugi's neck. "Feeling all right?" he asked in a tone which indicated he didn't particularly want to hear about it if Yugi wasn't. Kaiba's lips tickled, and the amethyst-eyed boy shirked from the stimulus.

"I'm-I'm pretty sure I'm okay," he stammered diffidently. He pushed cautiously at the billionaire's chest, but he didn't budge.

"I can check, if you want," Kaiba offered, his hand groping beneath the sheet.

"Ah!" Yugi batted his hands away, blushing again. Kaiba laughed at him and bent his head to kiss him when Yugi shied away. The young CEO stopped short with a frown.

"Doushita?" he demanded. "What is this? I thought we finally resolved things last night." Yugi sighed and averted his face to stare out the window toward the white sand of the beach.

"Kaiba-kun, nothing's 'resolved.' You grabbed me and I grabbed back. It doesn't mean..." He swallowed dryly, his tongue seeming to stick to the roof of his mouth. "It doesn't mean I can just leave Anzu to be with you."

Kaiba's eyes narrowed. "So last night was just a pity fuck."

"No!" Yugi pressed the heels of his hands against his eyes in frustration. Why couldn't Kaiba understand?? "It was--You were right when you said I wouldn't be here if I didn't want it. But I have a wife, who--"

"What the hell, Yugi?" he shouted angrily, sitting up beside him. "Can't I ever get a fucking straight answer out of you? First you say you're happy with Mazaki, then you as much as tell me you never would have married her if I'd shown up at your bachelor party. You love her, but you let me take you to Hawaii and spend all day with you. You sleep with me, but you're not going to leave her? How am I supposed to take this? I'm not a fucking yo-yo."

"I know!" Yugi cried. "I didn't--!"

"Then drop this 'yes, no, maybe so' bullshit and just tell me the truth! Tell me you're happy with that woman, and I'll get the hell out of your life. Tell me you want to be with me, but you're stuck in a messy situation and need some time to work things out, and I'll back off. But **don't** tell me you don't fucking know!"

Yugi flinched at the volume of the billionaire's voice, but found his own indignation rising. Kaiba had no idea what it was like; Kaiba still thought he could bend the world to his will on a whim.

"How the hell am I supposed to know yet whether I'm happy or not when I've only been married three weeks??" he objected irritably, everything he'd kept bottled up so long suddenly rushing out of him like water from a dam. "I was only actually _with_ her for two weeks before she had to go back to school in New York, and since that, all it's been so far is worrying!" His voice was getting louder and louder, he knew he was shouting, but he couldn't stop now if he'd wanted to. He started ticking off on his fingers. "I've had to worry about graduation, worry about graduate school, worry about traveling papers and moving to an entire other continent, and on top of all that, I have another person in my head who wants my time and attention just as much as everyone else, even though he'd never actually come out and say it; who isn't adjusting very well to the idea of marriage, and who--just like me--can't go one goddamn day without thinking about _you_!" A sob wrenched itself from Yugi's throat and he covered his face with his hands, humiliated. "I was supposed to be able to forget about you, to give up the stupid, childish fantasy that would never happen, and learn to grow up!"

Kaiba was unswayed by his tears, watching him with a shuttered expression. "Did you want to outgrow the pharaoh in that necklace of yours, too?" he asked, his voice hard. "Because I can tell you right now, that's where you're heading with this marriage of yours." Large hands gripped Yugi's wrists tightly and pulled them away from his face, he didn't want to look at Kaiba, but he was making him. "How long do you think Anzu's going to be satisfied with a husband who would rather retreat to another personality in his head for company? If you have kids, how is she gonna explain that one to them? And don't think it's going to get any easier for you--you'll have to worry about your job, the bills, more mouths to feed, a mortgage... Do you honestly think there's any room in all that for the 3,000 year old spirit of some dead Egyptian?"

Yugi looked as if he'd been slapped. "That's not...I'd never..."

"Never is a long time, Yugi."

"Get off of me."

"If you're going to be mad at me for telling the truth--"

"Get off!" Yugi shoved the brunet away from him with a sudden burst of strength and moved off the bed, casting about the floor in search of his clothes, a pair of boxers, _something_. Kaiba reached across the mattress and grasped his wrist, tugging the smaller boy back against him, beneath him. Yugi fought him, thrashing under the billionaire's weight as he struggled to free himself.

"Will you stop--ow! Goddamnit..." One of Yugi's hands had struck across his nose, and Kaiba saw stars. Wrestling Yugi's arms to the mattress with a scowl, he leaned in and kissed him, hard. The multi-color haired youth stiffened, then tried to bite him; Kaiba was ready for it and pulled away. Yugi growled and he kissed him again.

With a last, defiant jerk against the much larger body holding him down, Yugi reluctantly fell still under the persuasion of Kaiba's mouth, and when the blue-eyed boy's tongue slipped inside a few seconds later, he met it with his own, rather than with teeth.

Kaiba shifted his weight to an elbow, slanting his mouth over Yugi's, and Yugi's arms wrapped around his back to hold him in place. Running a hand through that wild hair to cradle the base of his skull, Kaiba pulled the other male closer, the force of his kisses bruising on tender skin. Yugi's mouth worked against his fervidly and the lanky brunet lowered himself to lay flush against the smaller body, earning a soft groan and fresh nail marks in his shoulders. Kaiba moved in to kiss him again, but Yugi turned his face aside.

"How would a relationship with you be any different?" he asked sadly, not really expecting an answer.

The brunet stared silently down at his profile for a moment. "I'm not her, Yugi. I can take care of you," he asserted, "both of you. I'm not going to try to interfere with whatever you and mou hitori no Yugi have going on between you two. I'm not going to make you feel guilty. I'm not going to play favorites."

"I already feel guilty when I'm with you."

Kaiba clenched his jaw, and his eyes flashed. "That's because you know I'm right. There is _nothing_ that woman can give you that I can't give you, a hundred times better!"

"Kaiba-kun." Yugi reached up to hold the brunet's face in his hands. "It's not about 'giving stuff.' It's about... It's about being there when I need you. It's about being able to talk to you and have you tell me what you're thinking or what you're feeling, instead of changing the subject. It's about you trusting me, and really wanting to be with me."

"Christ, Yugi, what do you think the last two days have been about?" Kaiba demanded, his anger rising. "Do you think I did all this for my health?"

"No! I know you didn't, but--you're acting like it's a competition," the smaller male tried to explain wearily. "This isn't just another game for you to be the best at. There are people's feelings at stake here. I made a promise." Kaiba's gaze hardened, and he pulled Yugi's hands from his face.

"You once told me a promise made for the wrong reasons is the worst kind of promise you can make, do you remember that?"

Yugi bit his lip and glanced away. He remembered. It had been at Jounouchi-kun's birthday party a few years ago, Kaiba hadn't wanted to come but Mokuba was coming and dragged him along. Kaiba had isolated himself from the rest of the group on the couch as soon as he arrived, and by the time Yugi was able to approach him, the billionaire had been more than a little drunk.

Kaiba wasn't a happy drunk by any means, but had begrudgingly allowed Yugi to sit beside him. Yugi had tried to make small talk and eventually they got around to the fact that Mokuba had practically forced his brother to come. He'd tried to make a joke about it, but the subject of his younger sibling seemed to make the brunet even more morose. Kaiba had bitterly muttered something about Mokuba turning out alright, despite his less-than-adequate parenting skills and failed promises. That was when Yugi had told him none-too-delicately that he was a horrible drunk, and an idiot for bemoaning the desperate, ill-conceived plans of his ten year-old self gone awry. Maybe it was the alcohol, but after staring at him in disbelief for nearly a full minute, Kaiba had actually _laughed_.

He had been so sure Kaiba was going to kiss him then; his own smile had faltered and his heart was pounding so hard he could hear it over that awful music Shizuka liked and even over Jounouchi's yells as he tried to change the station... Then Anzu had shown up with a piece of cake for him. Kaiba had reverted back to silent sullenness so quickly, Yugi would never believe the CEO had been almost enjoying himself the moment before if he hadn't seen it for himself. Anzu had offered Kaiba a piece as well, but the other male declined impolitely and removed himself to the other side of the room. Yugi had been so mad at Anzu for that...until he realized he was being stupid, Kaiba wasn't going to kiss him, and if the larger teen hadn't left he would have just embarrassed himself by making the wrong assumptions.

Kaiba seemed to be reading his mind. "I wasn't going to kiss you," he said. "I was drunk."

The multi-color haired boy felt his cheeks heat. He'd been right, he'd have likely humiliated himself that night, looking for what wasn't there--

"If Mazaki hadn't shown up, I'd have probably thrown you down on that sofa and tried to fuck you through my clothes." He smirked faintly. "That would've taught that mediocre guy to invite me to his parties."

Yugi wasn't quite sure what to say to that. "If you liked me enough to want to sleep with me all the way back then, why didn't you say anything until three days ago??" he finally spluttered crossly. Kaiba snorted.

"It wasn't about 'liking you,' Yugi. I was attracted to you and I was..." He trailed off.

"You were what?"

"Look, it doesn't matter because it was years ago," Kaiba snapped. "I'm talking about right now, and you still haven't answered my question. I told you how it would be different with me instead of Anzu, now you tell me, am I wasting my time here, yes or no?"

Yugi's eyes fixed on a point somewhere past Kaiba's shoulder. He could end this. All he had to do was say the words. It was the right thing to do. The _only_ thing.

"...I'm sorry, Kaiba-kun."

He felt the billionaire move off of him, heard the rustle of the sheets as he climbed out of bed and pulled on his pants. When Kaiba spoke, his voice was devoid of emotion.

"Pack your things. We're leaving in an hour. I'm sure the Blue Eyes jet will be fixed by the time we get to the airfield."

The brunet opened the door to the in-suite bathroom and Yugi wanted to say something, anything, couldn't Kaiba understand that there was a difference between the things you wanted to do and the things you had to do??

The door slammed.

Yugi buried his face in his hands.

* * *

..

The lanky brunet stripped from his pants and dropped them unceremoniously into the hamper. Naked, he strode to the shower stall and turned on the taps with a deft flick of his wrist. He held a hand under the spray for a moment and, apparently finding the temperature acceptable, stepped inside.

Kaiba reached for the shampoo and squeezed a small amount out into his hand before working it into his hair methodically. His eyes slid shut as he seemed to lose himself in the task, and nearly a full minute had passed when he tilted his head back under the spray. The water sluiced down his back and over his shoulders, pooling in the slight hollows of collarbone, navel, hip bones.

Picking up the bar of soap, Kaiba began mechanically to work a lather into his skin. His hands ran over his body leisurely, unconsciously, for several minutes, until a palm slid across his belly and the dried remnants of what a warm washcloth the previous night had missed. He paused.

Without opening his eyes, the billionaire brought his other hand to his shoulder. His fingers brushed over the four shallow, crescent-shaped cuts there, and a slow smirk made its way over his face.

Mou hitori no Yugi frowned. Abandoning his transparent form, he returned to the puzzle.

* * *

..

How long he sat there, staring off into space, Yugi couldn't be certain. He felt the sudden urge to just step back, out of himself, because surely this couldn't be his life. In _his_ life, he was an aspiring veterinarian who had married his high school crush, a girl he was still convinced was out of his league; they had a bright future stretching out before them in America, the Land of Opportunity, and sure, he was host to an ancient Egyptian spirit who lived in a puzzle he wore around his neck, but honestly, who didn't hear voices in his head every now and then?

He was not this person who slept with aloof young billionaires whose names were known all over the world and whose products filled arcades and gaming shops as far as the eye could see. He was not this person who played the good husband over the phone and fucked his (second) best friend six thousand miles from home, while his wife waited patiently for him with the light on.

Somewhere, Yugi guessed, was a very distressed man wondering why he was suddenly sitting in a New York apartment in front of a biology textbook with no plans for that night other than to curl up on the couch with his wife and fall asleep in front of the television.

"Yugi."

He blinked and focused on Kaiba and the men in suits and sunglasses, even though it was early evening, remembering that he stood on the roof of a colossal Hotel Kaiba, having just disembarked from a private jet named after a man's favorite Magic and Wizards card. Yugi's sense of unreality increased.

"...Eh?"

Kaiba stood there, watching him expectantly, and it took Yugi only a moment to realize they were trying to usher him inside. Glancing to his right, he saw that one of Kaiba's people had his luggage. Yugi stepped toward the door and Kaiba turned on his heel, leading the way into the elevator another of his employees held open for them.

Yugi attempted once during the short ride to catch the brunet's eye, but found Kaiba staring straight ahead at the doors. He didn't bother trying to say anything, not with Kaiba's people hovering around...not that he knew what he would say, were he to open his mouth.

When the elevator slid open, Kaiba ordered Mutou-san's things to be put in a guest room, and sent his men scurrying with a chorus of "Hai, Seto-sama"s. By the time the two actually reached the door to Kaiba's penthouse, his employees were already hurrying back for further instruction. Kaiba dismissed them curtly and they went off to return to their posts, whatever those were. Yugi didn't see how anyone could live like this and _not_ develop a superiority complex.

Once they were alone, Kaiba shrugged out of his coat and tossed it over the back of the sofa. "Are you hungry?" Kaiba suddenly asked as he toed off his shoes, and it seemed nearly deafening to Yugi, compared to the awkward silence that had hung over them all day. "You can call room service and have them bring something up," he continued, tugging his shirt tail free of his slacks. Yugi stared without really realizing he was doing it, and when Kaiba looked up abruptly with an unreadable expression, he averted his gaze and struggled not to blush.

«« Aibou, »» his other self murmured unexpectedly, «« I think we should switch. There are a few things I'd like to discuss with Kaiba, and I know you must be very tired. Perhaps you should rest? »»

Yugi got the hint clearly enough. Yami wanted to talk to Kaiba--probably about him--and he wanted to do it alone. The smaller duelist bit the inside of his cheek. « Just...please try to get along, mou hitori no boku?» he pleaded. He still felt terrible about this morning. The last thing he'd ever wanted was to hurt Kaiba-kun like this. It had taken him so very long just to win the billionaire's friendship, and now...now that might have all been destroyed.

«« I will "get along," »» Yami promised with a note to his mental voice that made Yugi wary. However, the spirit soon relented. «« I do not wish to see Kaiba hurt, any more than you do, he assured his host. I will not twist the knife, or provide false hope. »»

« Thank you,» was Yugi's reply before he faded into dormancy within his soul room.

"--shi or American," Kaiba was saying.

Yami turned to face him. "I'm sorry?"

The brunet recognized the change almost instantly, and his eyes traveled up and down that small body of Yugi's which now undoubtedly housed the pharaoh's spirit. "I was asking what you'd like to eat. But maybe you'd prefer something Middle Eastern?" He raised an eyebrow, as if challenging the other to refute him.

The dark Yugi found this casual attitude at odds with what he knew had transpired that morning between his partner and Kaiba, but the young CEO was nothing if not a jealous sentinel of his emotions. And Yami had never yet been able to resist that look, coming from Kaiba. The corner of his mouth twitched upwards.

"Any suggestions?"

* * *

..

The slighter framed male's eyes closed and he tipped his head back, in a transport of ecstasy. "Mmm..." he moaned appreciatively, his voice husky with pleasure.

Kaiba shifted on his stool at the kitchen island as his cock twitched, and idly reflected that it was positively indecent, the way this man enjoyed his food.

"I take it, then, that you find your meal satisfactory?" Kaiba questioned wryly. He figured lamb-kabobs, American beer, and sliced apples with honey and brown sugar wasn't quite authentic Egyptian fare, but Yami certainly didn't seem to mind. And it probably beat raw fish, at any rate.

"Gods, yes. This is fantastic." The pharaoh sucked a thumb into his mouth to clean it of the juice that had leaked from his kabob. Kaiba just tried not to stare, and found himself largely unsuccessful.

"Shit, Yugi. You're making me envy a fucking shish-kabob."

The spirit set his grilled lamb back on his plate and eyed the brunet thoughtfully. "Perhaps, for clarity's sake, you should call me something other than 'Yugi,'" he suggested. He figured it unnecessary to point out that it also seemed more than a little ridiculous for Kaiba to continue to address them by the same name when he could obviously tell the difference.

"Oh," Kaiba jeered, "and what do you suppose that be? Pharaoh? Your Majesty? My Lord?"

Kaiba's previous incarnation had indeed called him all of those things at one point, but Yami decided not to mention this. Instead, he gave the taller boy an annoyed look. "Atem will be fine, thank you."

Kaiba eyed him speculatively. "Atem? Was that your name before...back in Egypt?" He wasn't saying he believed all this "Pharaoh of the Gods" stuff, but he didn't see any harm in humoring the guy. And he supposed it was only fair that the Other Yugi want a name of his own after seven years. He'd heard most of Yugi's friends refer to him as Yami at one time or another, but "darkness" didn't seem like much of a name to Kaiba.

The spirit's gaze dropped to his plate and he picked up his bottle of Miller Genuine Draft. "Yes. I'm...pretty sure, anyway," he replied, and took a long swallow of his beer.

Shrugging, the billionaire took another sip of his own. "If that's what you want. Atem," he repeated, testing the name. Well, he supposed it wasn't any worse than "seahorse."

The smaller young man nodded, seemingly satisfied, then narrowed his eyes shrewdly. "What about you, Kaiba?"

Kaiba was unfazed. "What about me?"

"Are you..." Yami tried to think of a way to word it so he wouldn't be tactless, or break his promise to Yugi. He didn't think "You seem surprisingly civil for a guy who just got his heart ripped out" would be the right way to go about it. And it still didn't explain what he'd seen this morning as he watched Kaiba shower. He figured it was pointless to beat around the bush. Kaiba could be an extremely cunning man, and the pharaoh wanted to know if there was some other factor in play here, sooner rather than later. "Are you up to something?"

The young business man met this accusation with a blank expression, his eyebrows lifting slightly in surprise, but otherwise, his face remained impassive. "What would make you ask that?" he wanted to know. "If you're referring to my attempts to persuade Yugi to leave Anzu, I think I've already proved--" Yami no Yugi waved a hand dismissively.

"No, I'm talking about..."

"Why I seem less than devastated in the wake of Yugi's rejection?" Kaiba guessed. He gave the ghost of the puzzle a somewhat self-deprecating smirk. "Not everyone wears his heart on his sleeve, Atem. Remember that." The brunet dragged a fingertip through the condensation that had collected on his beer bottle. "To tell the truth, I expected no less. Yugi is nauseatingly loyal, after all. That's something I both admire and despise him for at the same time." He caught Yami's gaze and it held. "I've done my part to plant seeds of doubt, and I suspect you've done yours." He arched a brow, and the pharaoh had the grace to look sheepish. "The rest is up to Yugi."

Yami was surprised. "That's uncharacteristically passive of you, Kaiba," he remarked. The billionaire's smirk hardened.

"Oh, I don't plan on leaving things where they are. Let Yugi go back to that woman. Let him see how little she really has to offer him. Let him try a life of mendacity. He'll realize soon enough what he wants." Kaiba leaned in closer to the small Egyptian and let his lips graze the boy's temple. The dark Yugi's eyelids threatened to close for a moment. "That boring, domestic kind of life is not meant for men like us." Kaiba's mouth found its way to the sensitive spot behind the multi-color haired boy's ear, and Yami shuddered. "There are some spirits that aren't meant to be chained."

Kaiba wasn't as surprised as he might have been when the pharaoh turned and grasped his face in his hands, brushing his lips against his. He traced the contours of Kaiba's face, his fingertips touching the bridge of the blue-eyed boy's nose, his cheekbones, his dark eyelashes. When Kaiba opened his eyes again, he found Yami gazing at him so intently, it was as if he were trying to burn his face into his memory.

"Kaiba, if we only have tonight..."

The brunet reached for him at the same time Darkness of Yugi threw his arms around his neck, drawing him down into a frenzied kiss. Fisting a hand in Kaiba's hair, Yami slid off his stool and into the other boy's lap, moaning when the young billionaire gripped his ass to hold him in place, and their mouths worked against one another fiercely.

"I don't want you having sex with that woman," Kaiba growled between wet, haphazard kisses. "I don't want her dirty hands on your body..."

With a groan, the spirit pressed himself flush against the larger male, pushing his tongue into Kaiba's open mouth. Kaiba used his grip on mou hitori no Yugi's hips as leverage to grind into the boy and was rewarded with a stifled gasp.

"I want to feel alive, Kaiba," he whispered mournfully as the other's lips traveled down his throat. "(Don't let me go.)"

"If it were up to me," the brunet assured him huskily, his mouth leaving a trail of fire in its wake, "I'd never let you out of my bed." His teeth closed over a nipple through the fabric of Yugi's shirt, and the pharaoh panted, his knees tightening around Kaiba's waist.

Letting his head fall back, the dark Yugi closed his eyes, concentrating on the way Kaiba's touch was like electricity down his spine. The way it felt to be in trapped in Kaiba's arms with that wicked mouth driving him wild, even fully clothed. The way Kaiba's breath in his ear was a hundred times more intimate than any of the awkward kisses he'd shared with Yugi's wife.

"Tell me what you want me to do to you, Atem," the blue-eyed CEO prompted shamelessly, dipping his fingers below the waistband of Yugi's jeans.

Yami leaned in to run his tongue over Kaiba's cheek. "_Everything_."

Kaiba laughed darkly. "Sou ka?" he murmured, his voice rough with desire. "That could take all night."

The corner of Yami no Yugi's mouth turned up in a smirk and he rocked his hips languidly, once. Kaiba inhaled sharply through his nose, and the pharaoh lowered his face until his lips hovered only centimeters from the young man's ear. "I'm counting on it."

* * *

..

Solitaire: Gah, I'm so embarrassed. I'm no good at this kind of thing. ::blushes:: Writing this chapter nearly killed me. Well, please let me know what you thought of it.


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